When We Awaken
by Ai Kisugi
Summary: What if Kagome was a miko who slept for 500 years? What if Inuyasha is a modern day hanyou who accidentally awakens her? Inu/Kag
1. Chapter 1: Nemureru Mori no Bijou

**Chapter One: Nemureru Mori no Bijou**

_**Disclaimer: **__I only use the Inuyasha characters for my own devious purposes. They will be returned (mostly) unharmed when I am done. Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi and I make no profit from playing with and/or tormenting her characters._

_**Summary:**__ What if Kagome was a miko who slept for 500 years? What if Inuyasha is a modern day hanyou who accidentally awakens her? Inu/Kag_

**_Warning:_**_ Some swearing (mainly by Inuyasha), some violence and a kiss.  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: Kmoaton, Alpine, and SplendentGoddess_  
~~~oo0oo~~~  
_Karaumea, SplendentGoddess and Eggry were wonderful in helping me to brainstorm this story. They all made suggestions and helped me to shape the plot that you are about to read. Even though this is not a collaboration piece, I was certainly helped and guided by these lovely ladies!  
_~~~oo0oo~~~  
'Thinking'  
"Speaking"  
~~~oo0oo~~~

Gray fog surrounded Inuyasha. He turned around and tried to ascertain where he was and what he was doing.

He could see only low-lying clouds and his highly attuned senses could make nothing else out but wet coldness pressing in against him.

He looked down at himself. For some reason he was not concealed. His silvery hair cascaded down his shoulders and his claws were clearly visible at his fingertips. He was wearing the typical garb that he wore in college: faded, worn jeans and a red t-shirt completed the ensemble.

Inuyasha could only smirk to himself. It was a good thing that he was encased in fog; otherwise he was quite sure that a fellow student would have been terrified to see a dog demon. Right now, the mist was his only means of concealment.

Cautious footfalls fell behind him. He quickly whipped his head around to face whomever was approaching. At first, all he could make out was a dark form in the mist. As it moved even closer, he could see that it was a man, about his height. But he was wearing curious clothes. Unlike his modern garments, this man was wearing a red kimono that might have been worn in ages past. He even had a sword secured to his side, like a samurai of old.

As the figure moved close enough, Inuyasha could only gape in astonishment. It was as if he was looking into a mirror. Before him was an exact facsimile of himself, including his silver hair and white dog-like ears. The only difference was the curious garb.

He saw his own form smirk at him. Then the bastard had the audacity to cross his arms and shift his weight to the side, just as he normally did.

Where one Inuyasha stood stoically and at ease, the other one was rigid with shock.

"Who the hell are you…?" the modern-looking Inuyasha managed to blurt out.

The other Inuyasha, the one wearing a red kimono only offered a sad smile. "You…" was his cryptic answer.

The Inuyasha who was wearing jeans, pressed a hand to his chest. "What the fuck do you mean?!" he bellowed.

The figure before him only cocked his head to the side, as if to understand the person in front of him. "Do you have someone to protect, Inuyasha?"

The modern hanyou felt a tick developing on his forehead. "Stop answering me with more questions!" Inuyasha found this bizarre conversation was getting him increasingly agitated. The man in jeans lunged forward to grab the calmer man wearing the red kimono. "Tell me who the hell…"

Just as his hands were to make contact with the other man, he found the red kimono-clad body disappeared into the mist that surrounded them.

It was like the man had never really been there… "What the fuck?" asked Inuyasha as his hand fisted into the billowing fog.

But it was the man's last words that echoed in his mind. "Do you have someone to protect, Inuyasha?"

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha bolted awake, his body lunging forward with a jerk, his heart racing. A thin sheen of sweat made his skin look almost translucent. His long black hair clung to the dampness around his shoulders and chest; his violet eyes took in his surroundings.

It took him a few moments to realize that he was actually in a tent in the middle of the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park. Bundled up in their sleeping bags next to him were his buddies, Miroku and Hojo.

"Fuck," muttered Inuyasha as he ran a hand over his brow. He needed to ground himself in the present and not the disturbing dream that he had just conjured up. He shook his head and then managed to get himself out of his sleeping bag. He was only wearing his boxers, so he pulled on a discarded red t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans.

He crawled slowly past his compatriots who seemed to be dreaming happily. Miroku was murmuring seductions in his sleep, apparently, the letch never let up. Hojo normally had a goofy grin on his face when he was awake, but asleep the boy seemed serious and pensive.

Inuyasha unzipped the opening to their tent and then closed it behind him. There was no way that he could continue to sleep. He was far too agitated.

Luckily, he hadn't woken up in the middle of the night. A new day was starting to peek over the horizon, glimmering orange-pink colored the edges of the morning mist, which was peeking through the dense pine forest.

He shook his head and then cracked his neck as he turned it side to side. He stretched his hands far above his head and took in a deep breath of cool, crisp mountain air.

There was something about being in nature that brought out his wilder side. He spent far too much of his time looking like someone he was not. "Fuck this!" he groused as he tugged at a beaded necklace that hung around his neck. With a few whispered words the enchantment fell away, revealing his true self to the morning rays.

Instantly, his body shimmered and morphed. But there was no real transformation. He was simply dropping a glamor spell that made him appear like a normal teenage boy from Japan. But he was far from normal.

Black hair turned dark gray and then into silver. Violet eyes became brown and then golden. White dog-like ears flickered on the top of his head and his long fingers now held claws instead of shortened nails.

He turned to look up at the tops of the forest surrounding him. A fang peeked out from under his lips as he contemplated his next move.

Without a second thought, Inuyasha made a leap high above the forest line. Wind rushed past him making the edges of his red t-shirt and faded jeans whip to and fro, his long silver hair whistling behind him.

He made another jump, landing onto the branch of a tall pine tree. His bare feet gripped the coarse limb. The hanyou smirked and his amber eyes took in the forest around him.

Tall, whispering conifers surrounded him. They reached for the sun, while meandering fog encased their lower limbs. A babbling brook gurgled nearby and he could hear the chirping of birds waking from their early morning slumber.

He really needed this. The clean air... The wild... The chance to be himself…

Most of his life he was stuck pretending to be something he was not. Except for his family and a few close friends, everyone knew of him as 'Ash,' a perfectly normal college student attending Tokyo University. Ash could blend into the crowd. He wondered momentarily what his friends or even the few girls he had dated would have thought if they knew he had dog-like ears, claws, fangs and paranormal abilities. He shook his head as if to get rid of that unwelcome thought and then crouched in preparation for another jump.

He never felt truly comfortable in Tokyo. It was too big, too crowded and there were too many people. He could get used to the horrible stench of car exhaust, urine and pollution if he stayed within the metropolis's confines, but it still made him nauseous.

Inuyasha took another breath of the crisp morning air; then he leaped toward a meadow…

…and landed on what he thought would be solid ground.

The grass and fireweed flowers under his feet crumbled. Wet, mist-shrouded soil gave way and he fell down into the earth.

His back was the first thing to hit solid ground, while dirt continued to sift on top of him.

"Shit!"

Inuyasha managed to push himself away from the continuing pile of soil that was accumulating. He stood up and brushed the dirt from his blue jeans. He turned to look up and saw that he was in some sort of cave. A hole far above his head radiated like a spotlight and revealed the hollow confines of the interior. Remnants of dust swirled in the air like snowflakes. The specks seemed to sparkle in the weak morning light.

A soft glow caught the edge of his eye, causing him to glance behind himself. Further down the cave a faint pink glow emanated.

He turned toward the light source. Inuyasha took one final glance up at the hole in the cave ceiling. He could easily return to the surface.

His brow furrowed in thought. It was odd to see light further down the cave. He could only think that perhaps another hole had formed within the thin cave tunnel. However, too many questions plagued his mind. Why was the glow pink and not the sun's yellow rays? Brief flashes of jewels and untold treasure drifted into his mind. Perhaps he had seen too many pirate movies recently, but the idea of buried treasure beckoned him and curiosity guided his steps.

The faint light intensified as he walked further down the cave, until he came upon a scene he was not expecting.

He was hoping to find some long dead emperor's treasure cache, but instead he found a shimmering circle of pink light. Within the glowing circle was a woman who was lying on a raised wooden platform. Along the edges of the sphere, he could see cobwebs that had built up like mist and were wavering in the dim light. An occasional spider scampered about the translucent webbing.

"What the…?"

The girl was still, but from his vantage point he could see the freshness of her skin and the glow of her cheeks. Inuyasha drew closer to examine the strange sleeping woman.

The girl wore miko's robes and seemed to be resting, as if she had just laid down for a nap. She had long, ebony locks that framed her heart-shaped face, before drifting down her form and ending just above her waist. Long lashes framed her sleeping eyelids. Her outfit was very typical of a shrine miko, red hakama pants and a white haori with billowing sleeves. Clasped in her hands was an ancient samurai sword. The hilt was frayed and the sword had a sheath of black lacquer that showed the weathering of time.

Around her neck was a curious pink orb that pulsed like it had a heartbeat. The colors within the large pearl-like object changed with each beat from white to pink to purple, the glow around the orb fading and intensifying with the gentle thrum that seemed to permeate the cave.

Inuyasha tilted his head to get a better look at the sleeping girl. He could tell that she was lovely. Her face was soft and perfectly formed, her skin creamy and luminous, and her petite body held curves that could even be seen through the folds of her robes.

She was strangely out of place considering her surroundings. There was something mesmerizing about her, something surreal. She seemed more like a spirit than a human being.

Yet, there was something about her that seemed familiar, like the fading edges of a dream that disappeared when you woke. He shook his head and his feet drew him in, even closer. Soon he was right next to the glowing bubble that surrounded her. He should have been wary, but instead he simply put his hand forward as if to rest against the shimmering edge.

He was surprised to see his hand pass through the barrier. He pulled his arm back to look at his errant hand, but he could find nothing wrong. The glowing sphere that surrounded the girl seemed to be only light and not a physical object, though there was a curious accumulation of dust above the glowing orb. With only a shrug his body followed where his hand had been and before he knew it, he was standing above her.

His entire being seemed to be centered on the girl before him. A beautiful girl with no scent... He sniffed the air as if to verify what his keen senses had already told him. It was as if she was not even there.

Perplexity suffused his features. Was she really there? Without a thought he reached down with both hands, clasping the girl's arms in his own. Then he shook her.

"Oi! Girl. Wake up!"

The girl shook silently, like a ragdoll in front of him. She was very real in his hands. For the briefest of seconds before he had touched her, he had thought that she wasn't even real. Obviously that theory was incorrect. She wasn't an insubstantial spirit. He could also tell that she wasn't dead. There was no rigor mortis. She was limp, like an unconscious girl.

'Shit! Does she need CPR?'

His eyes widened and his heart started to beat faster. Could she really be awakened? If she had been without air for longer than four minutes she was as good as dead.

He pushed a taloned hand under her neck, arching it to open up her breathing passage. The pad of his thumb somehow made its way to her full lips, touching the pink softness. He shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts before he leaned down to press his mouth against hers.

For a mere moment he was at peace. He was meant to do this; his lips were meant to mold against hers. Her lips were soft and acquiesced.

The gentle thrum of the pulsing orb about her neck stopped and instead the pulse of her heartbeat took over, propelling her to life. Suddenly, she drew in a sharp intake of breath and her gentle scent suffused the room.

It was at that moment that her wide blue-grey eyes flew open in both terror and surprise. The startled girl drew back in confusion, gaping at Inuyasha.

'Oh Shit…' He had the best of intentions; he had only meant to revive the girl. But he looked like a hanyou. His ears drew back in alarm. Surely she was about to scream. He must look like a monster to her. No human other than his family and select friends had ever seen his true form. Even if his mother had always deemed his dog-like ears adorable, he was quite certain that the girl in front of him would have another opinion.

"Inuyasha?" the girl responded with awe in her voice. "It's you…" she continued with reverence. Then a golden smile drew itself across her features, erasing the terror that he had just seen in her eyes.

He blinked. 'What the hell? She knows my name?' "How do you…?" The words he was about to utter died on his lips as the girl before him sat up to draw him into her embrace.

The same lips that he had briefly touched were now against his of their own volition. This time her fingers crept up his neck to fiddle with his long hair before one stray hand started to stroke his dog-like ear. He felt his leg quiver and he wanted to shake it like any pleased dog would have done with a good ear scratching. He had never had a girl stroke his dog-like ears while kissing him before. He quickly realized how much he liked the sensation.

"What…?" he tried to say, but just as he opened his mouth to say the word her clever tongue parted his lips, gaining entrance. He was utterly shocked by her behavior. The girl should be stunned by his appearance and perhaps screaming in alarm. Instead she was kissing him? And she knew his name?

Her lips were warm, wet and desperate. The girl's tongue swept into his mouth in some sort of a frantic bid to prove that he was a substantial being and that he was with her.

'Oh fuck…'

Maybe it was the ear rubs, her soft curvaceous body pressed against his torso, or the way she felt so natural in his arms, but he allowed her to continue and growled in approval. Part of him felt guilty for letting her kiss him when she was no more than a stranger to him, but right now he couldn't find it in himself to care. He reacted, his own tongue joining with hers.

At first she seemed tense in his arms, but once she felt him respond, the hand that had gripped his hair in haste dropped to wrap loosely around his shoulder. Her body then seemed to mold itself to his, her soft form wrapped against his hard planes. Soon her frantic motions slowed and she pulled back, creases of worry evident around her eyes and forehead.

Inuyasha could see tears pooling in her eyes. He could only shake his head and wonder about the bizarre reaction of the mysterious girl in front of him.

"I thought…I thought you had been killed…I saw it," said the girl with a small, sad smile on her lips. "But it was just a nightmare…" The strange girl before him heaved a sigh of relief and hugged him again. "Oh Kami, what a horrible nightmare!" She choked on her last words and fell into a sobbing mess on his shoulder.

He patted her shoulder awkwardly. He never had any idea about how to handle crying females. Especially not crying females that he had never met before, who had just declared that they thought he had died! 'Crazy wench!'

The girl pulled away from him; she sniffed and then brought up one billowing sleeve to wipe her face. Tears stained the white fabric. She hiccupped as she peered over at Inuyasha. Her sad smile grew again and now he could see a hopeful grin blossom on her face.

All he could do was look at her with abject befuddlement. "What are you talking about?" he demanded with confusion.

She looked up at him for a moment, mirroring his bewilderment, before she smiled and continued. "It was just a nightmare, Inuyasha. I'm sorry if I caused you to worry."

"But…" he stammered trying to find any coherence from the last few minutes. "But how do you know my name?"

The miko turned to look at him with puzzlement on her features. "What do you mean? Of course, I know your name." She then laughed as if this was some sort of silly joke. "I've known you for the last two years of my life." Then she paused and he could only take in a breath as he looked at long black lashes that opened to look at him, revealing the most gorgeous grey-blue eyes he had ever seen. "How could I ever forget you, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou swallowed. Part of him felt bad for what he was about to say, but he didn't see any way around it. "But I've never met you before…" The sentence was a statement, but the lilt in his voice almost made it sound like a question.

The girl looked up at him in confusion. Her face was shaking left and right. "But Inuyasha, we have been together for the past two years. We were fighting demons…" She paused when she saw that the words had no effect on the man in front of her. "You know…the demons who wanted the Shikon Jewel?" She clenched the pearl-like jewel that hung around her neck and looked at it in confusion. The once pulsating pearl-like object now wore a dull off-white sheen.

Inuyasha's ears only swiveled in confusion. "What are you talking about, wench?"

The girl before him drew in a sharp breath and seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating. "Wench! You're calling me WENCH, again! My name is Kagome. Ka-Go-Me!"

Inuyasha drew back. "Hey, it's not like we ever met before, wench."

Her chest was heaving as she spoke. "You do know me! I said my name is Kagome!"

He raised his hands up in apparent defeat. "OK. Now how in the hell do you know my name?" Then after a moment's pause he pointed to the dog-like ears on the top of his head. "And why in the hell are you not freaked out by me?"

Her eyes widened at his interrogations. Sadness crept over her features. "You don't remember me, do you Inuyasha?"

"No…I…"

Her stormy grey eyes found his again and he found that he couldn't speak coherently. She took in another cleansing breath, squared her shoulders and faced him directly. Her tone brooked no argument. "You're obviously under a spell. Maybe a demon or a witch did this to you." She nodded her head as if to convince herself of the validity of what she had said.

"A demon…a witch…what? I'm not under a spell!" he protested.

She turned a level gaze at him. "Yes, you are Inuyasha. And what is with your strange clothes?" she asked while she gestured at his clothing with a look of perplexity on her face.

He could only step back in confusion. "Strange? What the hell? So my ears aren't strange, but my clothes are?"

The girl seemed flabbergasted. "Yes!" she barked out while motioning to his head. "You've always had those cute ears." Then she mumbled to herself. "It was the first thing that drew me to you…"

"What?" Inuyasha looked at the miko in front of him as if she was delusional.

Kagome sighed and moved to get off of the platform she had been lying on. Then the mangled sword that had been in her hands clanged as it hit the packed earth and stone of the cave.

The girl knelt forward and picked up the errant equipment and handed it to Inuyasha. "Here's your Tessaiga."

"My what…?" He drew the battered sword from its sheath and stared at it in puzzlement. "Why in the hell would I want a piece of crap like this?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "I guess it stands to reason that if you forgot me, you'd also forget your beloved Tessaiga."

Inuyasha snorted. "Beloved? Why the hell would I love this piece of shit?"

She only shook her head while she reached for a quiver of arrows and a bow that had been placed near the edge of the platform. The quiver was made of leather and though it had seen better days, it swung over her shoulders as if it was meant to be there. The bow quickly followed before the bowstring snapped in her hands.

The girl looked down in confusion. "I had just re-strung this bow a week ago." She looked up at the hanyou before her. "How long have I been sleeping, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha just looked at her in puzzlement. "How the hell would I know!? Ouch!" He stopped his tirade once the bizarre miko started to pull strands of his hair. "What the fuck, wench?!"

The girl only rolled her eyes as she took a few strands of his long hair and wove them into a fine braid. "Ka-Go-Me…" she replied as if she was talking to a small child.

"Fine! Now why in the hell did you take my hair…"

His words stopped once he saw that she was now re-stringing her bow with his own hair. "Hanyou hair is virtually indestructible, except for your human night…" she reasoned.

Now it was the time for his eyes to widen. "How in the hell did you know that I had a human night?"

She turned to him again. But as she looked him in the eye, it wasn't in anger, but muted sadness. "I told you that I know you, Inuyasha. When are you going to believe me?"

The boy before her opened and closed his mouth a few times, like a fish out of water.

When Kagome saw that he was too mystified to respond, she sighed and then picked up a small crimson bundle that was also resting on the platform.

The strange girl rubbed the coarse looking fabric with a look of melancholy and then offered the small parcel to him. "Here…" she said as she offered it to him.

He could only shake his head. 'First a damaged, old samurai sword and now this…?' "What is this, wench?"

The miko only looked more forlorn as she brought the red garment to her breast. She closed her eyes and then breathed deeply again, stopping to look at him directly in the eyes. Grey-blue met golden and she spoke with detached reverence. "This was your father's. Made of the hair of a fire rat."

Inuyasha gaped for a second. His eyebrow twitched before he let out a belly laugh. "What the hell? A robe of the fire rat…? What is next? Is there a Princess Kaguya that I am supposed to compete for?

For once, Inuyasha believed he was just the butt of a silly joke. Something his friends had concocted to mess with him on this camping trip. So far, he had never seen such an elaborate ruse. But he wouldn't put it past his perverted buddy.

"What, did Miroku put you up to this?" He laughed as he pointed to the robe. "There is no way that I'll ever put that on.

He stopped laughing and his eyes started to harden. He walked toward the miko, his stance stiff, and his facial expression bordering on hate. "And what do you get out of this, wench? Did you think it was funny to play a prank on a hanyou?"

The only thing that stopped him was that tears started to well up in the corner of her eyes. Her entire demeanor seemed to shatter. Then she took a breath and looked at him with an intense longing that his instincts told him was no act.

Her eyes found his again. "I would never do that to you, Inuyasha." She turned to tug nervously at her hem, then looked at him again. "If you could only remember you would know that…"

He shook his head. He wanted to believe, yet disbelieve what his senses were telling him. The girl seemed so genuine. But her story was too odd to be believed. If this wasn't some sort of prank, then was the girl crazy?

He looked at her again, trying to get a read on her eyes, trying to see a glimpse of insanity. They held the color of a sea storm and he felt lost in her sincere and disquieted gaze.

He must be losing his own senses, because he was starting to believe her drivel. He looked at the red fabric that she put in a pocket of her robe. Apparently, she had given up on him accepting it as easily as he did the battered sword. When she looked back up at him, there was red lining her eyelids, but she also held a steady resolve. Her face became a mask of placidity and somewhere deep inside of him, he hated it.

She brushed on past him. "How do we get out of here, Inuyasha?"

"Now wait a second," Inuyasha cried as he tried to take command of a situation that seemed to be spiraling out of his control. But Kagome was already moving forward toward the light from his earlier cave-in. She stopped with determination under the gentle spotlight, before turning to her companion.

She gave Inuyasha a small shrug and a half-smile. "I don't suppose that you could give me a ride up?"

"Ride?" asked Inuyasha in confusion.

"Can you please kneel?" asked the miko as she moved her quiver and bow behind her back.

"What…uh…sure," answered the befuddled hanyou as he knelt down on the ground next to her.

He was quickly shocked to find the strange girl climbing onto his back for an apparent piggyback ride. "What the hell wench, do you always kiss and get on the backs of everyone you meet?"

Inuyasha could only hear the girl sigh. "No. I only do this to cute and rude Inuhanyous."

"What…I," Inuyasha was taken aback by her last comment. He didn't know whether to be amused by her admission that he was cute or annoyed at her declaration that he was rude. But there was something in the back of his mind that reasoned that she was close to the mark with her evaluation of him. "Keh…Fine." He decided that he didn't want to argue with the girl about this. Whether or not she had kissed him, he would have still tried to help her out of the cave.

Inuyasha stood up and with one quick leap they moved up and out of the cave. Soon the duo were back in the open meadow, tall pine trees looking down at them from the grassy edge. Once again, he was conscious of her form against him. Her petite body was cradled next to his, her legs wrapped around his waist, his arms under her thighs.

It almost unnerved him when an errant thought told him to keep her nestled on his back. He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. His hands fell away from the miko and the girl dropped unceremoniously to the grassy land.

Unlike Inuyasha, she didn't seem unsettled by their recent bouts of closeness. She was adjusting her bow and quiver of arrows once more before she addressed him.

"Can you get me to the Musashi-Mitake Shrine?" Kagome asked while looking up at the perplexed hanyou.

Confusion edged at his features. "Yes, but why…?"

"Kaede-sama works there. She'll be able to help me get rid of the spell that you are under."

"What the hell, wench? I am not under any spell…!" Inuyasha turned to grab at the miko, catching her robe. The girl pulled back and was unbalanced. Her body swayed and was about to unceremoniously hit the ground. Before Inuyasha knew what had happened his hands were firmly around her slim waist, his eyes staring into hers, their chests touching. He could feel the nervous thumping of her heart as her bosom was pressed up against his chest. His own blood drummed in his veins.

He didn't understand what was happening, or why he felt drawn to this infuriating woman. But his eyes found her red lips and all he could think about was the way she had kissed him only minutes before.

Rosebud lips opened in question and he found himself licking his lips in response. A gentle blush suffused her features and dark lashes concealed her eyes before she turned her face to look at him. He became lost in her stormy grey eyes. He found his arms were gripping her tighter to him.

A roar shattered their tranquility and he found himself blinking before gently setting the stunned miko aright.

A billowing fog started to settle in the area, disturbing the mid-morning sunlight. Grayness settled over the land. Suddenly, the birds were no longer chirping.

Inuyasha had learned long ago to obey his instincts, and now for some bizarre reason the hair on his body seemed to be standing on end, like he had a brush with static electricity.

A large creature was slithering at the edge of the forest. The blackened mass quivered and wavered before moving closer, dark fog following it.

It was then that he noticed that the fog was some sort of poisonous gas. As it touched the surrounding trees, the branches withered and the animals were silenced.

Something deep inside was yelling at him to run or fight. He hadn't made the decision when Kagome made it for him.

"Shick." Inuyasha heard Kagome draw an arrow to her bow.

When he turned he was astounded to see the girl stand beside him, her miko's robes fluttering in the wind and her dark hair drawn behind her, her grey-blue eyes focused on a pattern in the landscape far away. Her bow was drawn taut and her arrow seemed to glow like white-fire; her face held the concentration of a warrior that had been called to battle. Was this the very girl who had been crying in his arms minutes ago?

She took one sliding step forward, blocking Inuyasha with her own body. "Get behind me," she muttered.

"What the hell? I don't need protecting…I" Protested Inuyasha as he moved to shove the girl behind him.

Just as he pushed her aside, her arrow left her string, blue flame zinging toward her target. The arrow arched high into the air before landing in a cacophonous blaze of spiritual fire.

His eyes widened at the sight, his golden eyes reflecting the flickering flames. Whatever this girl was, she wasn't normal. Though, for that matter, neither was he. He shook his head; he had always felt alone with his unique hanyou abilities. He had never known anyone who didn't have demon blood that had paranormal abilities. Now here was a girl, by his side, who was just that. Unbidden, he smirked. It felt nice to be with someone else who was far from normal. Next to her, his dog-like ears, claws and fangs seemed almost natural.

His musings were quickly pushed aside as she yelled at him, "Use your Tessaiga, Inuyasha!"

"My what?"

"Your sword, hold it before you!"

He tried to pull the damaged sword from its sheath. But the dull blade only reflected his face and the gray skies above him.

"Now what?"

He could almost swear that he heard the miko curse before she yelled at him. "Slice the air with it in front of you and yell 'Wind Scar'!"

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow at her odd command. He pulled the beat up sword in front of him and tried to wave it around like a wizard's wand. "Wind Scar," he muttered as if he was reciting an incantation.

"What are you doing?" yelled Kagome as she drew another arrow.

"Hell if I know," answered Inuyasha. "This sword is a fucking dud."

"Kami," Kagome cried. "Of all the times for you to forget how to use your Tessaiga!" She aimed another arrow at the offending target. "I only have three more arrows left Inuyasha. You have got to remember how to use your sword."

The stoic miko aimed her bow at a form wavering in the nearby woods. Before the arrow was loosed, it became engulfed with white fire. "Whoosh." The arrow left her bow, the string still vibrating in her hand. The missile shot true zipping through the air before hitting a large slithering object that screamed as it was hit.

"This sword is nothing but a dull blade. You're delusional, wench."

The girl simply yelled back at him. "Is this attack a delusion?" He saw the wavering form in front of him lash out, long tentacles spouting out and shooting at them.

"Dammit!" He wasn't thinking; his body seemed to take over as he grabbed Kagome and swept her up, throwing her on his back. Then in the same fluid movement, he was leaping toward the sky and away from the attacker. With a few leaps he had managed to put quite a distance between the two of them and the enemy. For a brief moment, he enjoyed his respite, pulling the miko from his back and clinging her fast against his chest.

The tranquility was short-lived. Waving tentacles, like a leviathan shot up at them again. One appendage tried to wrap itself around Inuyasha's sword arm. Luckily for him, Kagome managed to stab at it with her arrow, as soon as the spiritual force that resided in her arrows touched the blackened creature, it roared in pain, rearing up and pushing itself back.

"Shit, you're handy with those arrows," was all Inuyasha could reply.

"And I'm running out of them," muttered Kagome as she looked meaningfully to her emptying quiver. There were only two arrows left.

"Fuck!" Inuaysha cried out as he dodged another round of flailing tentacles and leapt to a nearby pine tree. For only a brief second he was able to catch his breath before the tree underneath him shook. He saw a rising miasma of gray fog enveloping the base of the tree with long blackened tendrils wavering up the tree trunk.

Nowhere was safe. He held Kagome against his back with one hand while he tried to leap in a large arch away from this battle. He could only gape as he saw Kagome not only aim her arrow while he was moving, but managed to shoot one while riding on his back.

White flames arose from just behind his ear to flicker. The holy arrow was released, almost in slow motion, spinning toward its target, a glowing white blaze. It created a trail of fire arching across the sky before it leapt at the darkness lingering below. Whatever was below them shrieked as it was engulfed in plasma. Long appendages that looked like the dark arms of a squid, were instantly burned, turned into a single column of ash that puffed away into nothing as the wind blew.

Whatever was there was hurt, but he could still hear it moving below.

The miko at his back drew her final arrow. He was mindful that it was her very last one.

He could barely make out Kagome's features since she was on his back, but he was amazed to hear no protests or screams. He could only make out her steady breaths and her rigid form.

Whoever this girl was, she had done this before and she was good at it. His eyebrows puckered in confusion. It was galling him to his very core to have a girl fighting for him. He needed to do something. He couldn't just let a mere human girl upstage him in battle.

Another leap and they were both far away from the bizarre demon that had attacked them. He quickly dropped Kagome on a limb of a very tall conifer before he jumped down to face his target.

He heard her protests as he left her behind. "Inuyasha, we need to work together…this is no time to…"

He could only snort. 'Work with a wench?' Well, for a human wench she was actually pretty formidable, but there was no way he was ever going to tell her that. Never mind that he felt completely emasculated by what she had done so far. He landed on the ground on all fours. Only his right arm was raised, as he flexed his claws. He immediately fell into a coughing fit. Whatever was in this air, it was putrid. It was like breathing in gaseous acid. It hurt to take in air.

His eyes widened noticeably as he considered what this would do to a mere human. As if to answer the question, he saw the remains of a dead bird flutter to the ground next to him before it dissolved into a decaying mess in front of his eyes.

"Shit!" He had to take this thing down before it got to the miko. She wouldn't be able to survive something like this. At that thought something in his chest clenched in fear. He scoffed in irritation at the idea and tried to discard the unwelcome emotion.

He heard something slithering up to him before he saw it. Dark fumes obscured his vision, like the billowing smoke of an oil fire.

He could hear a faint chuckling; it was really a hoarse laughter that reverberated through the trees. It seemed alien, inhuman.

"Inuyasha…" the creature intoned with a thick voice.

'What the fuck? It knows my name as well?'

"Thank you for waking her. I will reward you with this…"

Tentacles swept out toward him and it was only his well-honed instincts that let him leap off the ground before they smacked into the ground where he had just been squatting. They tore into the dirt, ripping grass and roots from the soil.

He fell backwards, and was almost able to control his fall. But he wavered just for a second and an errant tentacle slammed against him, drawing blood. He tasted the salty, red liquid on his lips and managed to spit it out. He tried to ignore the dull pain in his midsection and the dark viscous fluid that was soaking the front of his shirt.

A long forgotten instinct called out to him. He dipped his own claws into the blood covering his chest. The pang of ripping his flesh was only a momentary distraction. Despite the pain, he felt alive. His reddened claws, dripping with his lifeblood were flung at his opponent.

Red-black liquid sliced through the air before landing on the leviathan in front of him. His blood fell like acid blades against the demons skin, carving off long tendrils that quivered on the ground. Blackened blood oozed out of the demon's wounds, but it only seemed to further enrage the monster.

The creature seemed to have trouble catching its breath as it bellowed. "I killed you once before. I can do so again!"

'What the hell…? No one can die twice…'

The demon's strange words were a distraction, but not one that Inuyasha could afford. Just as he was trying to figure out their meaning, one of the tendrils that he had sliced off had managed to creep behind him and speared him in the gut.

Sickening pain lodged within him, blood gushed out of his mouth and he looked down. He saw a black, rubber-like tendril squirming out of the front of his stomach, like an alien being birthed from his insides.

His eyesight was starting to fog over. Black dots obscured his reddened vision. With what little energy he had left, he managed to slice the errant tentacle from his stomach, leaving a gaping hole of rendered flesh and dripping life fluid.

His knees buckled underneath him and he fell to the ground, as if in prayer.

The thing in front of him only laughed manically. Then the monster spoke in low and bitter tones. "As I said half-breed, I killed you once and I can do so again…"

There was no fight left in Inuyasha. He coughed up more blood. It spewed onto the wilted green blades of grass in front of him.

Inuyasha barely heard the miko's voice. It came from somewhere behind him. "Not while I'm around…"

Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard the 'Whoosh' of her final arrow as it flew into the sky and honed in on the startled demon in front of him.

He could barely make out the spiritual fire that lit up the air all around him. The blackened air that surrounded him was suddenly obliterated by white light. And somewhere in the dim recesses of his mind, he heard the screams of a demon. But then there was only blackness…

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter: _**_Urashima Tarō: Four chapters have been completed so far. I will be releasing one chapter a week. Then once I catch up with what I have already written, I will be posting once a month._

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: 'Nemureru Mori no Bijou' is Japanese for 'Sleeping Beauty.'_

_#2: Princess Kaguya or 'the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' is a Japanese Legend where the princess Kaguya (of the Moon people) gives her would-be suitors impossible tasks. One task is to bring her the robe of the fire rat. ____en wikipedia org/_ wiki/ The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter

_#3: The Musashi-Mitake Shrine was established 2,000 years ago, so it was around when Kagome fell into her magic sleep and it is still used today._

_#4: I bet you thought I would have Inuyasha kiss Kagome like the Prince in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Pffftt…! This is Inuyasha we are talking about… :-)_

_#5: In this story, Kagome will have some Kikyo-like traits since she was raised as a miko from birth. She will still be the emotional teenager that we all know and love, however she'll just have a little more refinement and skills than canon Kagome. Inuyasha will also have a few changes to his personality based on circumstances. He lives in the modern day, has never been orphaned and he has also been coddled, unlike our feudal Inuyasha._

_#6: Inspirations for this story came from Inuyasha, Sleeping Beauty, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, 'Urashima Tarō,' a little from the 'Lady of the Lake' from 'Le Mort d'Arthur' and of course, my own wicked imagination._

_#7: What I am currently reading: Behind the Silk Screen by eien-no-basho. If you haven't read this fantastically crafted piece of fan fiction yet, you are missing out. Highly recommended!_


	2. Chapter 2: Urashima Tarō

**Chapter Two: Urashima Tarō**

**_Warning:_**_ Some swearing (mainly by Inuyasha).  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: Kmoaton, Alpine and SplendentGoddess_  
~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha's next recollection was of searing pain in his gut. He tried to roll over to cough, only to see blood spittle onto the hard ground in front of him as he wheezed. Groaning, he managed to roll onto his back again. His forearm covered his eyes and it was difficult to concentrate.

"Inuyasha…?" A gentle voice called out to him. It was somehow familiar and he turned toward the sound.

A wet cloth was pressed against his forehead and gentle arms were trying to get him to lie down.

"Shuushhh…" the female's voice intoned. "You need to heal…"

His arm that had been covering his eyes fell back to his side. There was dappled light streaming in from above. They were under some sort of large tree. The strange miko, who he had awoken, was kneeling at his side, her face a look of worried concern.

He looked down to see that his entire midsection was wrapped in white cloth, with green herbs jutting between layers. He felt woozy, like he had been out drinking too much last night and had just awoken with a hangover. But this time the pain was not in his head-it was in his stomach.

Inuyasha scanned down his body with an almost drunken stare. He was sure that he remembered wearing jeans before. But now he was wearing some sort of red hakama pants.

He gazed at the miko with a look of befuddlement. "What happened to my jeans?"

"Your pants?" A small blush suffused the girl's features. "They were too bloody, I had to take them off."

Apparently his t-shirt had also been removed. Normally he would be utterly embarrassed to have found out that he had been practically nude in front of a girl he barely knew, but he wasn't coherent enough to think such thoughts.

"Oh," he muttered with little comprehension.

Inuyasha looked again at the miko beside him. His vision was a little blurry, but for the first time he noticed her bare arms reaching out to him. The billowing sleeves of her miko's robe had been torn off. Only ragged hems remained. It looked like she was wearing a white tank top.

He batted at her top. He had been trying to point, but his body was weak and wasn't responding properly. "What happened…?" he queried as he gestured to the rips in her top.

"Oh, I had to bind your wounds and it was all I had." The girl stopped for a moment to brush an errant lock of silver hair from his face. Her face was full of concern and longing. He found it strange to be the center of such attention, especially when he was bloody and looked like a hanyou. Something warm seemed to pool deep inside of him and made the pain that raked his body diffuse into only a dull roar. He didn't focus on the weird feelings though, he was too weak to truly understand what was happening.

His eyes closed and he felt the cool cloth on his forehead. However, there was something in the back of his mind that was trying to warn him. Something foreboding was looming, but he couldn't remember what it was. The gentle scent of the miko surrounded him and somehow it brought him peace.

He sniffed the air and then took in a deep breath. Taking in air backfired on him though, because he quickly fell into another coughing fit, his body heaving as more blood splattered onto the ground beside him.

"Inuyasha!" He looked up to see the girl near him almost in tears. She seemed to steady herself and managed to help him lie down again. This time she managed to prop his head up onto her lap. He sighed with contentment; he had wanted a soft place to put his head. The fact that it was also near her lovely scent and that she managed to gently stroke his hair and ears made it even more soothing. If it wasn't for the pain that wracked his mid-section, he would have been perfectly happy. He had almost drifted off into unconsciousness again when he heard her voice again.

"Inuyasha…?" she asked. He could only murmur a vague sound in reply. "What is the phase of the Moon?"

For a few moments he just let her words drift through his head and the fogginess that resided there. But then that spike of worry resumed. 'Why was the moon so important?'

The miko continued. "I can't see the moon out right now. I haven't seen it all day today. I have no idea what phase it is in or when you will be…" The last words were barely whispered, "human again…"

In his mind he saw the dark moon moving across starry skies and he remembered what happened on those nights. With a shudder, the apprehension at the edges of his mind seized him with full force. Tonight was his human night. He hadn't considered it a concern when Hojo had first setup their camping trip, but now that he was injured, his raw insides churned in sudden apprehension. If he didn't heal enough while he was a hanyou, he could die. His entire insides had been ripped out. A human could not survive such an injury.

The look on his face must have told her all she needed to know. "It is tonight, isn't it? The new moon…" She muttered silently, but then resumed stroking his hair and ears. "Rest for now, we'll handle it when the time comes."

Confusion reigned. He didn't let anyone know about his human night. Since he normally wore a necklace that made him look human, even when he was a hanyou, no one could tell the difference. Except for his immediate family and a select few, no one else knew of his damned weakness.

She said that she knew him. Perplexity crossed his features when he realized that she knew things that no causal friend of his would ever know. How and why could she know of his greatest weakness?

The miko kissed his forehead softly. He looked up at her with widened eyes. He should have told her to stop. He didn't know her, but there was something edging at the back of his mind that told him that she was familiar and that everything was as it should be.

Inuyasha looked up at her in befuddlement. He was trying to ascertain the conflicting emotions that were coursing through him, but the pain was overwhelming.

"Sleep, Inuyasha" she whispered as her nimble fingers stroked his ears and long silver hair. It was soothing, he felt like he was falling.

He tried to fight the blackness that was overcoming his mind, but her scent lulled him. Once again he fell into the nothingness of sleep.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha woke with a start, his hands clutching his gut. He looked up to see the glimmering of the sun fading away behind the canopy of the trees.

Deep inside he felt the magic fade. The energy that made him a hanyou was swiftly leaving his body.

He looked up to see frightened eyes looking at his, but in a moment, the miko schooled her features. Her face was now placid and still.

"You are already through the worst of it," she replied with calmness that he wasn't sure that she really felt.

He felt like such a weakling in her arms. For some reason, he didn't want her seeing him this way. Why it bothered him, he did not know. She was nothing to him, just a girl who he had just met.

He looked up at her again, the pain intensifying in his gut as his silver hair faded away into the dark. The tips of his hair turned dark grey before becoming obsidian black.

"Fuck!" He grabbed his gut again.

He wasn't going to cry. He would never cry, no matter how painful it was. He would never show weakness, especially not in front of a human girl.

"Inuyasha!" The girl held his face in her hands and peered into his violet eyes. "You will get through this. You will not leave me!"

Inuyasha saw her stormy grey-blue eyes water at the edges. Glistening tears started to accumulate and made her lashes sparkle in the dim fading light. Tears ran down her cheeks and then he felt the warm droplets as they fell like warm rain onto his face.

For the briefest of moments, his pain subsided. He could only stare in perplexity at the girl above him. For the first time, he truly realized how lovely she was. With a moment of clarity, he brought up a hand with blunt fingernails to her face. He stroked her cheek, wiping off the residue of her tears.

There was a half-smile on his lips as he looked up at the miko who held him in his arms. He never wanted to die, but if he could be in the arms of such a lovely girl while he passed away, he could be content.

He felt weak. He was human and for the very first time in his life, he felt like he might be dying.

The pain in his gut was total. Fierce fire ringed his gut. It felt like he had been eaten alive from the inside. He coughed again, blood dripped from his mouth and he noticed the bandages that ringed his abdomen were now laced with splotches of blackened blood.

Inuyasha looked up at the girl who had cupped his cheek with her hand. She looked so worried, so he tried to smile at her. But his smile quickly faltered as pain ripped through his chest.

He couldn't help it; a ragged scream erupted from him. Sweat dotted his forehead, he felt feverish and worn. Black spots emerged in front of his vision. He tried to focus, but it was a losing battle. He felt his eyes start to roll back.

The girl, who had let him sleep in her lap, shook his face. Teardrops fell onto his cheek. He felt the hot liquid falling into a small rivulet down his face, before dropping off his chin.

"You will not leave me Inuyasha! You swore to protect me!" she yelled.

His head lolled to the side and just when he was going to let unconsciousness invade his mind, he saw white light erupt from the girl holding him.

"I couldn't use my purification magic while you were a hanyou, but I can while you are human. Hang on, Inuyasha. Just until morning. Dear Kami! Please, hang on!" The miko sobbed, while he felt a white-hot energy coursing through his body. When it reached his gut, he screamed again in pain. There was something lingering in his system, some sort of poison that this energy was doing battle with. He gritted his teeth as he felt the purifying energy surging through his system, electrifying every nerve ending in his body. It washed over him, until he simply had to let go. His eyes drifted close once more.

He barely heard the miko yelling at him as he let the blissful sleep take over his beat up body and wearied mind.

"Don't leave me, Inuyasha!" she cried.

Then there was only peaceful darkness.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Someone slapped Inuyasha in the face. "Fucking hell! Get up!" yelled a man. His voice sounded strangely familiar.

Strong arms were shaking him. Inuyasha tried to bat at them; he needed them to stop. He wanted to continue sleeping.

"You are not going to sleep. You are not going to give up now!" The voice was insistent and it was progressively starting to piss him off.

Inuyasha let one indolent violet eye peer up at the man shaking him. His eyes met angry golden orbs.

"About damned time that you woke up!" the man yelled.

Inuyasha tried to make out who was shaking him. It was the same figure that he had dreamed about last night.

Inuyasha squinted his eyes to look at the man. He took in the familiar image. Silver hair, dog-like ears twitching on the man's head in annoyance, amber eyes and fanged teeth peeking out over the man's lip. Just like his dream the previous night, this man was wearing a red kimono, with a sword at his side.

However, for the first time Inuyasha recognized what the man was wearing. The very outfit the miko had tried to give him, as well as the dull blade that was worn on his side.

"Why are you…why do you…" was all Inuyasha could mutter before he felt the cold grip of eternal sleep tugging at his consciousness. His eyes refused to stay open, and his eyes were heavy. "Just need to rest…"

His protests were met with more violent shaking.

"No fucking way, hanyou! Not this time. You are not giving up!" The man was yelling in his ears. Even his dull human ears were startled by the sound. His eyes refocused and looked at the man above him, shaking him awake.

"You. Will. Not. Sleep," said the hanyou. Each word punctuated by another shake. "I waited too long for you to finally wake up. And now she's here….

The man hovering above him was adamant and seemed on the verge of losing it. The ancient samurai warrior continued to yell.

"She's fucking here, dammit! You will not die on me! I can't lose her again!"

Inuyasha looked up at the man, bewildered. He gave up on the need to sleep. Obviously this jackass, who looked like him, would not let him rest. But what plagued him the most was whom the man was talking about.

"Who…who are you talking about…?" was all Inuyasha could say.

A sad smile crept onto the man's lips. A fang peeked out from above the man's lip. "The one I waited 500 years for…"

Inuyasha drew his eyebrows together in confusion. He looked again at his doppelganger, but the man's golden eyes morphed into something softer. Something that was stormy grey... Something with a gentle scent…

Soon ebony locks surrounded him and a beautiful girl was peering down at him. Tears wetted her eyes and the peach rays of the sunrise had settled on her face.

His hand, which bore blunt nails, reached up to her face and stroked a few tears away from her cheeks, "Why are you crying?"

The girl gasped and latched onto his hand with her own, locking his hand in place, cradled against her cheek. "Inuyasha!" Slowly her frown turned into a sad smile. The tips of her lips curved upward, while tears still stained her face.

She whispered, "I was so worried." She swallowed and then turned her eyes to face the rising sun. "I don't know what I would do if I had lost you…"

Sharp pains still wrenched his abdomen. But he could feel his powers returning. His palm, which was pressed against her cheek, grew nails with sharp claws. He saw the ends of his hair whiten and then the pain in his gut slowly started to quell.

His hands left her face and clasped around his gut. He tried to swallow as the healing energy of his hanyou blood coursed through his body, mending the tears, fixing broken sinew.

The poison that had been in his system was gone, and now his healing blazed forward with incredible speed. He would still need some time to recover, but at least his body was finally recovering from his near disembowelment. In a few more hours, he might be fully healed or at least well enough to walk.

He tried to move his hands behind him to sit up; he had been in the miko's lap all night. Just the effort to move forward made him cry out in pain. His stomach was not completely healed; his tissues were still reknitting. It felt like a hot skillet had been shoved into his gut.

The ebony haired girl tried to help him up, but he growled so that she would leave him alone. He hated being helped by anyone, especially a girl who seemed to be better at combat than he was.

It was very painful, but he managed to roll himself out of her lap and he collapsed on the ground beside her.

After a grunt of pain, he turned to look at the miko who had tried to help him up and momentarily panicked. It took a few moments for him to realize what had happened during the night. He had been a weak, frail human. He had even had the audacity to show his vulnerabilities to the girl in front of him.

Instead of looking at the miko with gratefulness, his emotions lent themselves to internal anger. 'What the fuck had been my problem last night?' He had been whining like a little girl in front of her—the very miko that had managed to destroy the very demon that had attacked him.

Inuyasha turned his head away from her in fury. He found that he couldn't even look at the girl right now.

It was then that he noticed what he was wearing, or for that matter, what he was not wearing.

"What the fuck? Where in the hell are my clothes?" Inuyasha pulled at the red kimono that covered his frame and then looked pointedly at the miko. "Why in the hell am I wearing this?"

The girl in front of him started to blush. A reddish hue grew on her cheeks, just as the peach-pink rays of the morning sun reached her face. Her long ebony hair was disheveled and tear streaks could still be seen on her cheeks. But yet again, he was struck by how lovely she was. His sudden anger dissipated into the ether. Something seemed to strike at his very gut; something that made him queasy and he turned his head away from her in confusion.

"Well," the girl was slow to respond. "Your clothes were mostly destroyed from the attack and covered in blood, so I had to change you. Luckily, I had your robes with me…"

Cold washed over him. The girl had changed his clothes? He looked down at himself again. She had managed to take off his jeans and his t-shirt. He didn't know if he was going to be bold enough to check and see if he was still wearing underwear.

"You undressed me?!" he stammered.

"Yes," the miko replied while her eyes searched his for understanding.

In both surprise and mortification, Inuyasha stated, "You saw me naked?"

The young girl blushed again. Her cheeks turned even redder. She nodded quickly and then tried to add a few words. "But it's not like I haven't seen you without your clothes before…" Then the girl looked him directly in the eye. "And it's not like you haven't seen me nude…"

Inuyasha's eyes widened to almost comical proportions. Then he realized that he was dealing with some sort of crazy chick who believed that she had known him in the past. However, this was unbelievable. He had never even seen her before yesterday.

"You have never seen me naked before! And…And, " he stammered as he tried to get past the next words. But images of a lovely, nude miko invaded his mind. He could see her curves and bare skin, her pert breasts and rosy nipples. For some reason he imagined her wet, her pale skin glistening, her dark hair clinging to her shoulders and curving around her breasts.

He gulped. "And if I had ever seen you naked before, I am sure that I would have remembered it!"

The strange girl in front of his seemed to be on the verge of crying or…to Inuyasha's complete confusion and dismay, the miko started to laugh. Effervescent giggles seemed to churn out of her.

She folded her bare arms over her stomach as she leaned forward to laugh. She was a peculiar sight, a miko with sleeves that were torn away and dirt on her red pants. Dried tears still stained her face, but he could see that mirth was steadily taking over the gloom that had pervaded her features.

"I'm glad that you find this so fucking funny, wench!" the hanyou managed to grit out between his teeth.

Her laughter quickly subsided and a winsome smile lit up her face. "It's good to hear you back to normal, Inuyasha," murmured the girl as she looked at him with honest approval.

The hanyou had no idea what to think of her. She was obviously crazy. Most girls he knew would have been insulted by now and would be telling him what an absolute bastard he was. But this girl seemed unfazed. In fact, it seemed that his unruly, moody behavior made her…happy.

She was definitely insane!

The miko smiled at him again. It was an indulgent smile that you would give to a mischievous kid. Then she schooled her features and stood up. She smoothed out her red hakama pants and brushed away some loose dirt. After sweeping a curl of raven hair behind her ear, she looked at the hanyou, who was still lying on the ground, clutching his mid-section.

"I'm going to start a fire and get something to eat," she announced.

Inuyasha was too disgruntled to go along with her plan. "Good luck on getting take-out!"

"Take out?" the miko stated in confusion.

Inuyasha wanted to continue to badger her. But she did look thoroughly confused by his statement and she had managed to bind his wounds. For that matter, perhaps she had been responsible for saving his life, but that thought didn't sit well with him, so he dismissed it.

"Never mind," he said as he grunted his dismissal of the girl.

Inuyasha tried to let sleep retake him. He was wondering how long it would take the miko to realize that they were in the middle of a National Park, with absolutely no means to make dinner or to get a cell phone signal. But then he heard a sharp scrapping noise behind him and he reluctantly turned around.

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he saw the miko hitting something near a small pile of sticks and dried grass. She seemed to be striking a smooth rock against the metal button on his jeans.

He was surprised to see small sparks fly with each strike. The girl seemed pleased and managed to move his jeans closer to the straw. Eventually, a wayward spark fell onto the yellowed grass and then it flickered into a small flame. She blew on the tentative fire that danced before his eyes and it suddenly blazed.

The miko simply smiled as she moved the smaller sticks around the steady flame. Soon even larger pieces of wood were added and a real fire was ablaze.

"How did you do that without matches?" he had to ask.

The strange girl just shook her head at him and smiled. She squatted next to him. Her hand reached out to his ear, but then she seemed uncertain of herself. She sighed and pulled her hand back without ever having touched him. "You have forgotten so much, Inuyasha. Don't tell me you have also forgotten how to start a fire?"

"Now, just listen here, wench! I haven't forgotten anything…I just…"

His words quickly ended as he watched the miko start to leave the encampment. He swallowed. He was not about to admit it, but he had found her presence comforting. They had just been attacked yesterday. What if that demon came around again while she was gone?

Another nervous swallow followed, but he refused to say anything about it. He was a man, dammit! Men didn't need women protecting them, especially a weak, human female.

The girl swung her bow across her back and there was one arrow in her quiver. She then pointed to the edges of their camp.

"I managed to find some of my arrows last night. I used three of them to set up a barrier."

Inuyasha could only purse his black eyebrows together in confusion.

He watched as the girl briefly turned away from him and then waved her hand over something that shimmered. There was something there, something that must have managed to keep things away.

At first he told himself that was impossible. No miko would have that sort of power. Then he realized that she had shown some very bizarre abilities yesterday. He had never seen a miko fire a spiritual arrow that made things explode, but he had witnessed it with his own two eyes.

Not only was the girl insane, she was apparently…magical.

Inuyasha sighed. Crazy or not…at least the wench was on his side.

"I'll be back soon, with some food," she murmured before she stepped past the barrier and into the woods.

Inuyasha tried not to feel vulnerable with the girl gone. He was a hanyou. He was from a great line of dog demons! Suddenly, he felt very small and alone.

Why had he never taken up his father or the Taijiya clan on their offers to learn defensive training? If he had only learned how to fight correctly, he could have protected the miko and he wouldn't have been mortally wounded.

He then snorted to himself in realization. His mom had told him it wasn't necessary in this day and age. Vengeful demons were well under control by the Taijiyaclan. Besides, he knew who would be teaching him if he was trained and that would also mean a steady dose of humiliation. Unfortunately, he now knew that he would have to swallow his pride and eventually ask for help. He couldn't afford any more mistakes, either for himself or for the strange miko that had allied herself with him.

He tried to make himself comfortable on the hard ground, while his hands clenched against his stomach. Inuyasha tried to relax, but that was something he was never good at. Meditation evaded him, however his body soon succumbed to the numbness of a fitful sleep.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha didn't know how long he had been sleeping, but the blissful scent of fish cooking over an open flame wafted into his nostrils. Almost on cue, his stomach started to rumble and he felt the gnawing pains of hunger course through his body.

"Can you handle some food, Inuyasha?" asked the miko tending the fire.

Inuyasha slowly moved to get up. The pain in his midsection was almost gone; all that remained was hunger. He looked up in confusion to see the girl kneeling next to a fire, with four small fishes on sticks, leaning over the small campfire. The miko was slowly turning the wooden skewers, so that each side of the fish was nicely roasted.

"Don't get up," the miko intoned with a hint of worry.

But Inuyasha didn't want to be placated. He was embarrassed enough as it was for acting like a wimpy human the past night. How would he ever live it down?

The miko moved closer to him and placed a bottle of water near his lips. He looked down to see a plastic bottle that had seen better days in front of his mouth. But he was thirsty and drank with abandon.

Then the sweet smell of freshly cooked fish drifted right under his sensitive nose. He immediately salivated as the girl brought a skewered fish up to him and tentatively broke off a small piece of fish and offered it to him.

He grabbed the food gruffly. "I'm not an invalid. I can feed myself!"

Reluctantly, the girl gave him the entire fish, which he munched down with relish. It wasn't until he was done and his stomach was still rumbling that he looked up at her again.

There was a tentative smile on her face. He also noticed for the first time that she had somehow managed to freshen up in the middle of the forest. Her face no longer held dried tracks of tears and the smudges of mud on her face and arms were now cleaned. She looked fresh and beautiful.

He only gaped for a moment before he tossed the leftovers of the first fish into the fire and motioned for another one.

She handed a grilled fish to him and started to eat one herself. All the while her grey-blue eyes flitted to him, watching his movements.

He burped and wiped his mouth with his billowing red sleeve before he looked at her again. "How in the hell did you get some fish in the middle of the forest?" He was curiously intrigued.

She only shrugged and lifted her bow to her lap then arched her eyebrows. "I learned how to fish with a bow and arrow when I was a child. It's not hard. Surely you remember how to catch fish as well, you were always better than me…"

His eyebrow twitched in confusion. He had never caught a fish—ever. He knew how to order takeout and how to make ramen. But living off the land? No, he had never done that. He chose not to answer the maddening girl. So he only huffed in reply, crossing his arms over his chest.

The girl only wore a secret smile while she finished off her fish and offered Inuyasha a third one, which he ate as if he was famished. Once they were done, she kicked dirt onto the fire and got ready to leave. He noticed at this time that his jeans and ripped t-shirt were hung against a stick frame to dry. He had entirely forgotten about his clothes.

He grabbed his t-shirt first and gave it up for lost. It had been ripped so badly, that there was no way that he could wear it now. Inuyasha threw it on the ground in disgust.

His jeans were another story. Kagome had managed to scrub most of the bloodstains out of them. But what he really needed was his wallet. He momentarily panicked when he worried that it was lost. But he was happy to find it was still in his back pocket. Some of his paper Yen was waterlogged, but otherwise it was in working order.

He did not have his cell phone or his keys. Those items were back at the campsite he shared with Hojo and Miroku.

"Dammit!" Inuyasha exclaimed. How long had he been gone? His friends must be worried about him by now. Maybe they had even thought he was missing.

"What?" murmured the miko as she glanced at him with concern. "I'm sorry about your clothes…"

"It's not my clothes," replied Inuyasha tersely. "My friends…they've got to be worried about me. How long has it been?"

The miko blinked. "Since I woke up and you healed? A day and a half…?"

Inuyasha cursed. "I have to get back to camp." The miko looked on at him in confusion. Something told him that he couldn't leave her behind. Whatever had attacked him might be dead, but who knew if there were other things out there-other demons that wanted them both dead. "Get on my back!" he ordered as he crouched down.

He was a little surprised to see the miko only smile, before grabbing the arrows that formed the perimeter of their camp and then scrambled up onto his back as if she had been doing this all of her life.

Inuyasha only swore to himself before he took to the trees again. His life had become surreal once she had stepped into it. He was still wondering if he was in a dazed dream.

It only took him a few minutes to get back to the campsite that he had stayed at with his friends. He landed and the miko quickly crept off his back without a word from him. She seemed to be able to sense what he needed.

Nothing was left at the campsite. He could see the bent grass where the tent had been and the small ring of stones that had once held a campfire. He scented the air. They hadn't been here for well over a day. They must have already left.

"Fuck, they're gone," he exclaimed. It made sense for them to leave. They were supposed to leave yesterday. Perhaps they thought he had run off and without his cell phone, they could not contact him. He only hoped that they had packed up all of his stuff for him. Once he got back to civilization he was going to give his friends a call.

The girl only looked at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Now can you take me to the Musashi-Mitake Shrine?" she pleaded.

Inuyasha only nodded, but this time he tugged at his beaded necklace and murmured the words that made the concealment enchantment come to life.

He didn't bother looking at his hair, which was turning black. He didn't look at his fingertips, which were turning into blunt human nails, rather than the claws of a demon. He only looked at the strange miko, trying to gauge her reaction.

"What?" she exclaimed in confusion before she moved forward. She took his hand in hers without asking, testing the ends of his nails and then had the audacity to touch his fake human ears, only to find that what she touched was not really there. "Wow," she exclaimed. "That is very useful magic."

Inuyasha only snorted. His voice was unchanged, even if his appearance had been altered. "It's the only way to keep people from screaming when they see me."

"Why would…?"

Kagome tried to finish her thought, but Inuyasha was now in a foul mood and did not want to entertain her questions. He swung her against his back and found that it felt perfectly normal to have her there. It was as if there was an empty a space for her on his back, he just didn't know until now that she was supposed to be there.

Wind quickly whipped around the duo as he took to the trees again. He slowed down once they got close enough to the shrine grounds for a human to notice them. He dropped to the ground and let Kagome climb off of his back.

She adjusted her bow and arrow before smiling at him.

Inwardly, he wanted to smile back. But he fought that instinct. There was no reason to smile at the girl; she had only made his life progressively complicated since she had been in it. Besides, he was quite sure that he would have never been attacked if it weren't for the girl he had awoken.

He quickly crossed his arms and turned his back to her, walking forward onto a dirt path. She didn't seem to take offense to his rude behavior and only trailed behind. Sometimes she would whistle or mimic the calls of the birds in the area. But she seemed to know that he wanted time to himself. He needed to think and process this crazy experience of his.

He hoped that once they had gotten to the shrine that she would give up on this crazy idea that he was under a spell. Something was obviously going on, but it had nothing to do with spells or witches. At least he thought that was the case.

He wavered in his beliefs as the paths they took became wider and more traveled. Inuyasha approached the outskirts of the Shinto shrine. Vendors had set up shop along the path. Some were selling rice balls or skewered fish, their wares on display near the small fires they had burning in the crisp mountain air.

Inuyasha peered over his shoulder to look at the miko. Her brows were furrowed in thought. She quickly hurried so that she was walking next to him.

"The shrine it is this way I think," she noted as she gestured along another path and guided them down it.

Inuyasha could only frown and shrug as he followed the wayward miko. She gaped in disbelief once they came to the foot of the shrine steps.

The Musashi-Mitake Shrine had stood at the same location for two millennia, virtually unchanged. The large, red Torii gates that lead up to the shrine were near a dense mountain forest, conifers shrouding both sides of the path. The stone steps leading up to the gate were time worn from centuries of use. You could see indentations in the stone where footsteps had worn down the hard mass over time.

However, it wasn't the structure that had her confused, it was the tourists that were milling around. She stared in confusion, taking in the bright multi-colored clothing, the backpacks, the strange hats and even the small metal objects that many of them were holding.

The miko turned and took a tentative step up the stairway, her hands resting for the first time on the metal guardrail. Her hands caressed the aluminum metal, stroking it like you would a cat.

A look of panic overcame her features as she started to sprint up the steps, running past the torii gates. "Kaede-sama!" she yelled. "Kaede-sama!"

Inuyasha only shook his head and followed the errant miko. Part of him was feeling pretty satisfied for knowing that she must have been wrong about finding this 'Kaede' at this shrine. Logically, it also followed that the miko had been wrong about the 'spell' that she thought he had been under.

He huffed in satisfaction before he noticed the girl's cries were becoming more plaintive-more desperate. He quickly ran to the top of the steps, winded tourists heaving for breath next to him as they trudged up the steep steps.

The miko was not winded, but she seemed to be panicking. "Kaede! Kaede-sama!" she cried as she spun around at the shrine's main entrance. No one by that name came forward, however a Shinto priest did manage to approach the miko.

He was an elderly man with long flowing white garments, purple hakama pants and a black cap was on top of his graying hair. His eyes were gentle and had the wrinkles of wisdom at the corners.

Kagome gasped as she looked at the man. The Shinto priest started to bow and she quickly followed suit.

"Miko-san," he stated with a gentle smile.

"Kannushi-san," she replied as she looked at him beseechingly.

"Are you looking for someone, miko-san?" he asked politely.

Kagome looked like she was at the verge of tears. Inuyasha finally noticed that her eyes were welling up. She tried to wipe her eyes with the sleeves of her top, but only noticed at the last minute that her sleeves had been torn off. For a brief moment, Inuyasha felt badly. It was because of his injuries that she was walking around with ripped clothing.

"If I may, miko-san," added the priest as he reached into his pocket and with a flourish he brought out a paper tissue.

He handed the tissue to Kagome and she wiped her eyes before asking again.

She bowed once more as she asked, her arms folded in front of her as if in prayer. "Kannushi-san, I am looking for Kaede-sama. Have you seen her here?"

The elderly man paused in front of her trying to ascertain her question. "Who is Kaede-sama, miko-san?"

Kagome looked at him miserably. "My sensei. She's a very wise miko. She was…she was in charge of this shrine…I…"

The man only looked at her curiously. "I have been working here for over twenty years, miko-san and I have never met a woman by the name of 'Kaede' working here."

Kagome brought her hands up to her mouth in astonishment. "No…no," she turned her head left and right. Not quite believing the words that the man had just pronounced.

'Fuck!' Inuyasha wasn't the type of guy who ever tried to calm down a crying woman, but there was something about the girl, she seemed so lost, that called to him. He ran forward, his red hakama and sleeves billowing in the wind as he ran. He was quickly at her side, but he had no idea what else to do. He stood by her awkwardly.

The older man looked from the young girl to the dark haired Inuyasha. "Does this young man know where Kaede-sama is?" he questioned.

Kagome turned to fist her hands in Inuyasha's red top. "How long have I been sleeping, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha only looked down at her in confusion. "You woke up a day and a half ago. I don't…"

She fisted his jacket again. "Who is the emperor of Japan now, Inuyasha? When I fell asleep 'Go-Nara' was the Emperor of Japan!"

Inuyasha could only look down at her quixotically. "Emperor Akihito currently sits on the throne," he replied. "Who is Go-Nara?" He could only turn and look at the priest standing next to them, begging him for guidance. Inuyasha rarely paid attention in history class; the 'Go-Nara' name was foreign to him.

The priest drew his brows together in confusion. "Emperor Go-Nara? Wasn't he emperor during the 'Warring States Period' in Medieval Japan?" The man shook his head as if to laugh. "Young miko, you cannot have slept for so long. 'Urashima Tarō' had three days turn into three hundred years. When he awoke the world had changed greatly and no one knew who he was." He paused and looked at the startled miko with a look of mirth in his eyes. "If you indeed fell asleep while Go-Nara was emperor, you look far too fresh and young to have been sleeping for over five hundred years."

Kagome's eyes only widened, then her eyes rolled back revealing white. Inuyasha only had a brief second to grab her petite frame before she collapsed in front of him.

"Was it something I said?" asked the priest.

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter:_**_ 'Tokyo' will be posted next weekend._

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: __Go-Nara was Emperor of Japan from 1527 to 1557. The current Emperor is Akihito (1989-). In Japan, time is usually measured by the emperor's reign, not by the Gregorian calendar._

_#2: The Japanese version of 'Rip Van Wrinkle' is known as the legend of 'Urashima Tarō.' In the legend a fisherman saves a sea turtle and he finds out that the turtle was actually a princess from the sea. He is asked to visit the sea kingdom of the turtles as a reward for saving her and he stays there for three days. When he returns home, he finds that no one knows who he is and that three hundred years have passed while he was away. __en wikipedia org _ wiki/ Urashima_Tar%C5%8D

_#3: 'Kannushi' is a male Shinto priest. I am sure that I don't need to tell anyone that a 'miko' is a female Shinto priestess._

_#4: I have not been to the Musashi-Mitake Shrine. However, I have been to several shrines in Japan and have styled this shrine after the 'Nikko Shrine' I visited._

_#5: What I am currently reading: If the Roles Were Reversed __by __Glon Morski. This lady writes the most fantastic fight scenes and her characterization is spot on. Highly recommended._


	3. Chapter 3: Tokyo

**Chapter Three: Tokyo**

**_Warning:_**_ Some swearing (mainly by Inuyasha).  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: Kmoaton, Alpine and SplendentGoddess_  
_~~~oo0oo~~~  
I need to thank in advance both Karaumea and Eggry who helped to shape this chapter with their wise observations. I think everyone is a little more in character thanks to their input!  
__~~~oo0oo~~~_  


Inuyasha tried not to cuss as he made his way to the door of his apartment on the third story landing. In his arms was a pale and beautiful miko, garbed in red and white garments and with long ebony hair. She was the girl he had awoken two days prior, and who was spouting nonsense about sleeping for 500 years.

He shook his head. There was no way that could be possible. He looked down at the girl he was holding bridal style in his arms. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in a trance. She certainly didn't look a day older than eighteen.

Inuyasha no longer had keys to his apartment; those had been left at camp. However, he was lucky that his apartment manager had been home. The old man had raised an eyebrow at the girl in his arms, but the man also had keys to all of the doors and was currently opening the door to his apartment.

"If your girlfriend is staying for more than a night, you're going to have to add her to the lease," smirked the older man.

Inuyasha gave the man a stony stare as he walked within his apartment and turned to face the manager. "She is not my girlfriend," he retorted.

The small, elderly man grinned at the comment. "Not your girlfriend?" A wide, lecherous grin erupted and he commented with a mocking tone. "Then why are you bringing her into your apartment?"

"None of your business, old man," answered Inuyasha as he managed to close the front door with his foot, slamming the door shut in the smirking apartment manager's face.

Inuyasha stormed inside his apartment. He was seething inside and he didn't know why. He took a second to breathe in deeply. The miko's scent quickly filled his senses and he found himself calming almost immediately.

His violet eyes refocused and he then found that he had the strange task of finding a place for the girl to continue her slumber.

Without any conscious thought, he strode into his bedroom and placed the miko onto his disheveled futon. He was never one to tidy up. His apartment was a mess. He sighed as he knelt to take off her geta and then managed to pull the thick, maroon comforter up to the girl's chin. He paused for a moment, looking at the girl.

There was no doubt about it. The woman was either crazy or confused, but she was beautiful and had managed to save him when he had been attacked. Why did she know his name? Why did she not even care that he was a hanyou?

His dark brows gathered together in confusion and he peered down at her lips once more. The last time she had slept, it had taken a kiss to awaken her. The thought lingered in his mind for far longer than he should have let it. He shook his head. When it came down to it, even though she had managed to save his life, he still did not know the girl. She could be certifiably insane for all he knew.

He knelt beside her as she slept in his room. Her long raven hair was splayed out around her, like a dark halo. Her lips were a lovely shade of pink against her porcelain skin. His finger reached out to trace her lips with his finger.

He was almost touching her lips when the phone rang, shattering the calm of his apartment.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha jumped up and ran his fingers through his blackened hair. He walked with an air of anger toward the telephone.

"What is it?" he yelled into the phone.

"Well, hello to you as well, Ash," replied an even voice.

"What do you want, Miroku?" responded Inuyasha with a petulant voice.

The monk on the receiving end of the line sighed. "Well, I have been calling your home phone for the past two days wondering where you are. Oh and your Mom is worried sick about you, too."

All the anger quickly left his frame and he slumped onto a stool next to the phone. "My Mom?" he asked plaintively.

"Ash, you disappeared in the middle of the night. Didn't tell us anything and we never saw you again. Your Mom is about to send out a search party." Then the man's voice took on a secretive tone. "Did leave the camp and finally take Eri up on her offer?"

"What? No!" yelled Inuyasha into the receiver.

"Pfft! Then where in the seven hells were you, Ash?" asked his longtime friend. "You've been missing for two days and haven't called anyone.

Inuaysha looked down guiltily at the red flashing light near his phone. Apparently, there were numerous calls waiting for him. He was quite sure the majority of them would be from his mother.

He paused since he didn't quite know how to phrase his response. He was never good at lying, so he decided to stick with the truth as much as possible. Once he was talking with Mirkou face to face, he might tell him the more of the improbable parts of his tale.

"Well, I found this girl," added Inuyasha as he took a deep breath.

"Oh, now you're talking…and…," prompted Miroku.

"Umm…I kissed her and…," added Inuyasha.

"And…," stated Miroku with a satisfied tone to his voice.

"Um, she's sleeping in my bed now and I need your help,"

Inuyasha could swear he heard the breath whoosh out of his lecherous friend. Then he heard the man whopping with glee. "Yes! You have finally banged a girl!"

"No, fuck it…Miroku, I meant she's in my bed, I didn't…you know…have sex with her…"

"And why not…?"

Inuyasha turned beet red. He was never quite as suave or as comfortable around women as his erstwhile friend. "It's not…it's not like that. She passed out on me, OK? And I need your help. No, I need Sango's help. She has no clothes and…"

A perplexed voice followed. "She has no clothes…?"

"Yes, and…"

"You have a naked chick on your bed and…"

"Don't go there Miroku…she's passed out. She was shocked and just passed out…"

"And is now on your bed with no clothes…?"

Inuyasha quickly spewed the next words out of his mouth. "No. Fuck, she has clothes on, but they're ripped and it's because of me that they're ripped and she needs new clothes." Inuyasha paused to try to take a breath. "Will you please get Sango on the line?"

The man on the other end paused and he whispered, "This isn't the end of this conversation. We still need to talk about this half-naked girl with ripped clothing on your bed," added Miroku lecherously. Then his voice changed to a sweet tone that was very smooth. "Sango, my love, Inuyasha needs your help."

The conversation Inuyasha had with Sango was not nearly as mortifying, though he had difficulty explaining to her why he needed some new clothes for a girl that was now sleeping in his apartment. It was even harder to explain why a girl he had brought home would need some clothing, what the miko's clothing size was, and why she was unconscious and unable to respond to Sango's myriad of questions.

Both Sango and Mirkou ended the call promising to come over and there was also a veiled threat from both of them stating that they were going to wring the entire story out of him.

Inuyasha wearily ran his fingers through his hair before he picked up the phone, readying himself to call his mom. He dialed her number warily and put the phone up against his ear.

The line picked up almost instantaneously. He heard his mom on the other end; her tone was listless as she said the typical greeting of, "Moshi, moshi…"

"Mom…"

The voice on the receiver screeched and he had to move the phone away from his abused ear. "Where have you been young man? Do you know how worried I was? Hojo said that you disappeared without a trace. Mirkou just said that it was probably some girl and you NEVER called me!"

Inuyasha winced even though he was kilometers away from his mother. "Um, Mom…Miroku was right it was…"

His mother continued on unabated. "To think that I had raised you better than this…I was about to send your Dad, your brothers and sisters and the Taijiya out to search for you…" It seemed like Inuyasha's words had finally registered. "What did you say…Miroku was right…?"

"Yes, I met a…"

His explanation was met with a scream of delight. "A girl! What is she like? How did you meet?"

Inuyasha let his head hang. There was no getting out of this. His mother seemed to be planning his wedding the moment he set eyes on a new girl—any girl with a pulse. He paused and took a breath.

"We met at the park, nearby where we were camping. When I met her…" He paused again. His mother always knew when he was lying. He had to tell her the truth without worrying her with some of the crazier details of the past two days. "…she was passed out cold. I thought she needed CPR. But she uh...she didn't…"

His mother caught on quicker than Inuyasha would have liked. "So you thought she needed CPR. Did anything happen after that?" his mother queried.

"Well, sorta…" Inuyasha scratched the back of his head as he tried to come up with the words that would avoid the next day and a half. "Then she was lost and I had to get her back to the shrine she worked at. I didn't have my cell phone with me. I'm sorry. I left it back at the camp and I lost track of time. So anyway, I am fine. Everyone is fine."

Inuyasha swore that he could hear a smile in her voice. "Everyone is fine? So when do I meet her and what is her family name anyway? She works at a shrine? Is she someone I know?"

He blew out a breath of frustration. "I don't think she is someone anyone knows. She's a miko and it's not like we're dating or anything. I just met her and…"

"You like her," she finished.

"What? I never said…"

He heard a chuckle on the other end of the line. "I know my son better than you think I do," said his mother with a hint of smugness. "Tell me Inuyasha, what does your demon-side think of her?"

Inuyasha paused, his mouth gaping open in confusion. He tried to think back. Every time he had been with a girl, his demon side inevitably rebelled. It wasn't as if he hadn't kissed a girl before, but he hadn't gotten much farther than that. He was a hanyou and he didn't want to get involved with someone without letting the girl know who he really was. But whom could he trust? And every time he tried to get close to a girl, something inside of him pushed away in revulsion.

His best friend, Miroku, had almost given up on getting him to go out with a girl. But it was his father that had given him the advice that had resonated within him. He had been told to not fight his demonic instincts and when he found the right one, he would know.

He tried to ascertain his own emotions and found himself trying to remember a glimpse of a dream—a dream where someone asked him if he had someone to protect. However, the last thing he wanted to do was to go over his dreams with his mother.

"I don't know, Mom. I'm going to have to think about it…"

He heard a frustrated sigh on the other end of the line. "Alright, but that doesn't mean that you can't get out of introducing us. How about next weekend…?"

Inuyasha groaned. "Mom, we're not even dating. I'll let you know if it gets serious…"

"Inuyasha…"

"Goodbye, mother…"

He hung up the phone and crossed his arms as he looked at the phone as if it could grow horns or walk away on its own. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn't notice the girl in his room.

A soft moan emanated from his room. He quickly got back up to see what was going on and if the miko needed any help.

The sun was setting, casting a red-orange glow into the room. In the middle of his futon was a miko who was looking around in confusion.

He stood at the doorframe. Part of him was drawn to the girl on his bed, but the other part of him wanted to keep his distance.

He tried to get a read on her as he looked on. Almost magnetically her eyes found his.

"Inuyasha," she stated as she looked at him, bewilderment suffusing her features. She took in his long ebony hair, red robes and the look of diffidence on his face as he looked down at her. Then she turned to look around at his room. She took in his glowing alarm clock, the stereo he had in the corner and his shiny plastic laptop. He heard her take in a sharp intake of breath.

Kagome looked at him miserably. She rubbed her bare shoulders. Her eyes drifted past him and looked away. "You're not my Inuyasha…"

"What?"

The girl only shook her head, as if in grief. When she spoke, her words were hollow. "I will not bother you anymore. I am sorry to have troubled you."

She slowly got up and put on her 'geta' with shaky hands. Once she noticed her bow and quiver near the bed, she quickly shouldered them as well. The girl's raven hair was unkempt and she tried to smooth it with her fingers. Her white robe was ripped at the sleeves; even her red hakama pants were dirty. But somehow she seemed regal, despite her mussed appearance.

The miko paused in front of him, her head bowed low. She wrenched her hands. "Please show me the way out…"

"What?" Inuyasha didn't know what was going on as she brushed past him, trying to find the door to his place. He shook his head in confusion as the girl tried to pull on his front door handle. It took her a few tries before she twisted the nob and had the front door open. Tears seemed to be creeping into the corners of her eyes.

"Wait, Kagome. Stop!" he yelled at the errant miko who had just flung his front door open. He might have been afraid that she would run away. But now it seemed that the view from outside his apartment was stopping her in her tracks.

The miko seemed frozen as she looked for the first time on the suburbs of Tokyo. Everywhere you looked you could only see high-rise buildings. Some were shiny buildings of glass and aluminum, and some were apartment buildings, covered in walkways and railings, sometimes with laundry flapping outside like a set of multi-colored flags. On the ground was a labyrinth of small streets that zigzagged in random fashion, carrying with them motorcyclists, smaller cars and even a few people who were walking or biking.

The miko drew her bow closer to her side. Her head was shaking back and forth. "What is this place? Where have you taken me to?"

"Kagome." He was right at her side, looking down at the pensive girl. He put a hand on her shoulder and she flinched away. He growled at her reaction.

Anger started to bubble up inside of him. "What in the hell is wrong, wench? First, you kiss me. Then you come up with this crazy story and now…" He paused in his tirade before he continued. "What…are you freaked out because I'm a hanyou?"

The girl's eyes widened in confusion, for the first time since her strange behavior started, she looked up at him with wide, stormy eyes. "Why would I care if you were a hanyou?"

"Well, fuck!" Now he was ready to let it all out. He thought that she might have been different. She even knew his secret. But he must have been wrong about her. "Most people would piss in their pants if they knew a hanyou, a half demon was next to them…"

Kagome's head cocked to the side, before she took his hands in hers. She caressed the tips of his fingers. Even though the glamor spell he wore made his fingers look like he had blunt nails, she could still feel his sharp claws. She looked at him longingly. "I've never cared that you were a hanyou, Inuyasha. Why would I care now?"

Then she let go of his hands and stepped back.

The effect had Inuyasha pulling back in confusion. "I thought…then why are you leaving?"

The girl turned to him and bowed formally. Inuyasha's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. The last thing he wanted out of this girl was formalities.

This time she looked him in the eyes. Her grey-blue eyes stared at him with sadness. "I mistook you for my Inuyasha." She then looked away as if seeing him burned her.

"But I am…"

"He looked like you, he talked like you, he had your name…" She started to shake and he could see the tears start to stream down her face. "But he died. I thought it was just a nightmare, but he died right in front of me!"

She turned to look up at him again. "I mistook you for him and I kissed you. I was so happy that I had just been dreaming." She turned around and looked at the cacophonous city around them with wide, unbelieving eyes. "But then I found out that I had been sleeping for 500 years…and that his death had not been a dream. That he had been murdered…"

Kagome sobbed, her hand covering her mouth in an attempt to quiet her pain.

Inuyasha never felt as helpless as he did when he saw a woman crying. But for it to be this girl, the one who seemed so lost, somehow made it much worse. He instinctively moved forward to comfort her, his hand hovering over her shoulder.

Something deep inside of him wanted to remove her sorrows, but how? And what was this about seeing a man die…? A man that looked like him…? A man that had his name…?

"Fuck, Kagome." His hand wavered. He fought with himself as a baser instinct wanted to hold her cradled within his arms. But he didn't even know her; he shouldn't be touching her.

The girl was the one to close to gap, she fisted her hands into his haori, twisting the fabric, and pulling him closer to her. Her head fell against his chest and then he felt the wetness of her tears. Inuyasha awkwardly patted her back. Her form was rigid for only an instant before she melted into his embrace. "Shit, Kagome," he murmured. Slowly, his arms encircled her in a protective hold.

He would have thought that her sorrow would have lessened when she was being held, but for some reason his attempts seemed to backfire and her sobbing intensified.

At first she only let him hold her as her body rocked with sadness. Then, timidly, her small hands let go of his haori. She left a tear stained kimono in her wake.

He could hear her shuddered breaths. Gradually, her sobs and hiccups grew farther and farther apart.

As her body started to still, she pulled away just enough to look up at him. Her face bore both tears and confusion. "You, you even smell like him," she stated with astonishment.

"What?"

Misery pervaded her features as she confessed. "How can I mourn him when you are exactly like the man I have lost?"

He shook his head and then found that he was the one who had to step away and put distance between the two of them. He crossed his hands in front of himself, pushing his arms further into his billowing haori sleeves.

"What the fuck is this 'other' Inuyasha you keep on talking about? There is no way that there are two of me walking around Japan! You're mistaken, wench!"

The miko only looked around the terrace outside of his apartment with a look of wretchedness. She looked at her feet as she spoke. "There is no way that there are two of you existing at the same moment in time."

Inuyasha huffed. "Exactly…"

She then turned her stormy grey-blue eyes to look directly into his golden ones. "But there is such a thing as reincarnation."

"What?" Inuyasha was indignant. According to Buddhism, a person went through many lifetimes on this earth until they finally reached enlightenment and left their mortal life behind. Just because he had heard the teachings many times during his life didn't mean that he ever thought that they would apply to him. The last thing he wanted to think about was that he had once been a turtle or a rabbit in his past life. But she wasn't talking about him being an animal in his past life she was talking about… "You mean…you think that I'm your reincarnated…what…boyfriend? Are you insane?"

The miko sighed as she looked away from him. Her eyes were looking at the myriad of buildings around them. "I suppose, if I were you, I would think it was crazy as well." She pulled her quiver to her side and faced him once more.

She smiled sadly at him. "I have overstayed my welcome. But please…" Her eyes looked at him beseechingly. "Tell me where you have taken me and where I can find a shrine that I can work at."

If he had been prepared for anything that was not what he had been expecting. But then he had to concede that nothing she had ever done was within the realm of what he would term 'normal.'

"What?" he replied.

"A shrine," she stated again. "Perhaps the one we had visited before, the Musashi-Mitake shrine. I am sure that I can find some work there."

He shook his head. Something was warring inside of him, something akin to panic-something he was not about to acknowledge. "Why do you need to work at a shrine? Just stay here for a while until you get your bearings…"

Her eyes looked confused as she addressed him. "Why would you want me to stay?"

"Fuck, I don't know. I just…" He looked out over the landing, where he could see the myriad of passageways that made up the suburbs of Tokyo. He motioned to the city beyond. "You're in Tokyo, Kagome, and it's a big place."

She mouthed the word, "Toe-kee-yo." She seemed to agree with him as she looked in wonderment and bafflement at the city streets below them.

"And it's not right for you to be alone. Please, just stay here until you get a handle on everything, OK?" Inuyasha was confused about his own words. If he had wanted to get rid of her, she had created the perfect opportunity. But now that he thought about it, having her leave was the last thing he wanted.

Kagome stared at him in confusion. She seemed to be trying to make up her mind.

"Ash!"

Inuyasha turned around to see Sango and Miroku making their way up the steps to his apartment. Miroku had a mischievous smile on his face while his partner in crime was fuming.

Sango got right into Inuyasha's face and started to yell at him. "What in the hell are you doing to this girl, Ash?" The demon slayer started to poke his chest repeatedly as she continued her tirade. "Miroku tells me that you ripped this girls clothes off, that she passed out on your bed and now…" Sango was quivering with rage. Her eyes were narrowed in disgust and he could feel the fury radiating from her. "Now she's crying! What in the hell did you do?"

Inuyasha tried to protest while Miroku's girlfriend prepared to deck him. He was just as surprised as Sango when Kagome stepped between them.

The miko pushed against Sango's arm, disentangling her from Inuyasha. "Stop it!" Kagome ordered. Her brow was furrowed in anger. "He doesn't deserve that! I'm the one who ripped my own sleeves and I passed out because…" Kagome paused and took a shuddering breath in an attempt to reclaim her equilibrium. "I passed out because I just lost someone dear to me." Kagome took a moment to wipe her face with the back of her hand. Though you could still tell that she had been crying, there were no longer tracks of tears across her cheeks.

Sango blinked for a moment or two as she tried to process the information this girl had just imparted.

Miroku was the one who stepped in to get the facts. He had his hands on Sango's shoulders and was attempting to rub them in a soothing fashion. "I think that my dearest Sango only had your best interests at heart, miko-san." He bowed smoothly to Kagome with a devilish smirk gracing his features. "She's always worried about women who might have been taken advantage of…" He smiled to his girlfriend who only crossed her arms and huffed.

Kagome looked confused. "I was not taken advantage of…"

The monk-in-training deftly cut in, "Yes, we know that now. But can you please explain why you were ripping off your own clothes? Unless…" Miroku's smirk was now directed at Inuyasha.

The dog demon's eyes widened and panic briefly flickered in his eyes.

"Were you so hot for Ash, that you had to rip your own clothes off?"

Inuyasha only sputtered. Kagome's eyes widened.

"Hot?" asked Kagome demurely. She shook her head in confusion and then tried to explain. "Inuyasha was wounded. I was only tending to him. I had no bandages; I made do by ripping off my sleeves."

Inuyasha only snorted in agreement. Sango's frown morphed into a look of contrition.

A look of worry passed Miroku's features. "What do you mean, miko-san? Why was Ash injured enough to need bandages?"

Suddenly, apprehension was etched across Sango's face as well. She placed a hand on Miroku's arm. "Anything that can harm Ash is something we have to look into."

Inuyasha was having none of their concern. "It's done and over with, right Kagome?" He was still standing with his feet apart and his arms crossed, wearing ceremonial red robes and a sword at his side.

Kagome's lips parted as if she were about to speak and then she closed her mouth. She looked at Inuyasha with a questioning look on her face, but only nodded in reply.

Miroku's eyes narrowed. "Ash, if you were injured and it would take something very powerful to hurt a hanyou, then the Taijiya needs to investigate."

Inuyasha pursed his lips together. Irritation clouded his voice as he spoke. "Once the Taijiyahears about it, then my parents will and I really don't need them to be watching my every move. And like I said, it's over and done with."

"Ash! There you are!" Another voice was added to the mix. This time it was Inuyasha's friend, Hojo who seemed to think that he needed to visit him as well. "You weren't answering your phone…"

Inuyasha could only try to stifle the groan that emanated from him. Kagome looked at Inuyasha in confusion as she noted the eager boy who was making their way to their party.

"Oh," muttered Miroku. Hojo's comments seemed to remind the monk of something, because he quickly tossed a cell phone and a set of keys toward the dark haired Inuyasha. "I forgot to give these to you earlier. I'm sure that you have a lot of missed calls."

"Thanks," murmured Inuyasha as he pocketed the items. Then with tired eyes, he turned to face his long-time friend, Hojo.

Akitoki Hojo had been someone Inuyasha had been friends with because of a shared past and heritage. Hojo was one of the few people he knew of that was also a hanyou. Their friendship had formed back in grade school, when they had discovered each other's shared secret. Inuyasha had been much younger then, so that even though he was told never to reveal his hanyou identity or his time of weakness, he somehow felt secure in revealing his secrets to another boy who had been in the same predicament.

However, despite their shared identity as hanyous, Inuyasha had slowly been losing interest in his friendship with the boy. He only maintained it out of a sense of duty to a fellow hanyou. Try as he might, he felt that he could never abandon Hojo after all of the years that he had known him, despite the boy's annoying tendencies.

When Inuyasha finally looked at Hojo he was concerned to see that his oldest friend was not looking at him, but at Kagome. And what was most disturbing is that there was a gleam to Hojo's eyes that had never been there before.

He took in Hojo's shining eyes, blushing cheeks and the way that he was scratching the back of his neck. The boy even stammered when he attempted to speak. "Miko-san!" he said while bowing. "I am Hojo. It is so wonderful to meet a fellow spiritualist."

Inuyasha tried not to groan. Hojo had never really shown any preference for anyone, boy or girl. Now he was blatantly staring at Kagome as if she was his long awaited destiny.

Inuyasha felt something bubble inside of him, something hard and sharp. But he tried to quell the feelings. He crossed him arms in front of himself again and tried to appear intimidating.

Kagome had a look of bewilderment suffusing her features. "Are you a priest?" asked Kagome.

The boy only nodded, his face bobbing with delight, until his face morphed into a look of horror when he noticed her ripped and dirty clothing. "Oh and Miko-san, what happened to your clothes?"

Kagome only glanced at her ripped sleeves before Hojo cut in again.

"I can get you some new miko's robes, miko-san," added Hojo blithely, his blue eyes looking at her with sincere concern. "I'll bring them as quickly as I can." The boy's face was alive with delight at his newfound idea. "Goodbye, miko-san!" The boy quickly turned away, just like he had arrived. Hojo waved wildly at Kagome and nearly tripped over some steps before actually facing the direction that he was going.

Kagome only managed a small wave before she caught Inuyasha giving her a look of intense displeasure.

"What?" she asked.

"Keh," was his only reply as he looked at Sango and avoided the miko's gaze. "Sango, could you help Kagome with those clothes you brought?"

Sango only turned to Miroku and gave him a meaningful look before she turned to the disheveled miko. "Perhaps we can start again?" Sango bowed formally to the miko. "My name is Sango."

The bow was gracefully returned. "My name is Kagome."

"Ash asked me to bring you some clothes." Sango paused to pull some yoga pants and a few shirts out of a bag. "Let's get you cleaned up and into some new clothes, OK?" The smile on Sango's face was genuine.

Kagome only returned the smile with a look of confusion. She then gazed at Inuyasha with a look of desperation, as if he was her only refuge. He answered with a calming smile and gestured for Kagome to follow Sango, who was already walking into Inuyasha's apartment.

"I believe his bathroom is this way. Kagome-san," called out Sango as she made her way forward.

One more moment of indecision played on Kagome's face before she spied Inuyasha's smirk. Then the miko only sighed, squared her shoulders and followed the demon slayer into the bathroom.

Inuyasha only gazed after Kagome as she walked away, his eyes thoughtful and his body calm.

"What the hell was that?" asked Miroku as he looked back and forth at the retreating form of Kagome and Inuyasha.

Inuyasha immediately changed his posture. He went from looking playful, to annoyed. He crossed his arms again and looked pointedly at his friend. "What the hell was what?"

Miroku pointed in the direction of where the miko had just been and then Inuyasha. "The two of you were acting like…"

"Like what…?" huffed out Inuyasha in agitation.

Miroku only stared at his friend for a moment more before he sighed and shook his head. "Alright then, you will need to tell me why you needed to be bandaged up with that miko's clothes."

Inuyasha didn't want to give Miroku all of the details. Telling him what happened would open up the can of worms known as the 'Taijiya,' which also meant that his parents might get involved. Most of the modern world didn't believe in superstitious nonsense like demons or ghosts. However, disbelief didn't mean they did not exist. The Taijiya were mankind's only defense against the darker elements that occasional sprung up attacking the human population. The group worked behind the scenes and often had to cover up demonic attacks, pretending that it was a natural disaster or a freak accident.

It was a secret society formed with human, demonic and spiritual volunteers. Miroku and Sango were heavily invested in the team; his father had even helped on occasion. They had tried to recruit Inuyasha when he was younger, but he had never wanted to fight with the Taijiya. He was too much of a loner to be part of such a large group. Now he was starting to wonder if he would have a choice.

With a groan, Inuyasha decided to come clean with Miroku, but not before he extracted an oath from the monk. He wanted his parents in the dark for as long as possible. The last thing he wanted was for his parents to coddle him like a baby, his mother was bad enough as it was.

He soon told his entire convoluted story from the moment he found Kagome not breathing, to the kiss that woke her up and to the unexpected demonic attack that followed. He avoided any mention of Kagome's insistence that she had been sleeping for five centuries. The last thing he wanted was for Miroku to think that the miko was deranged, even if he had already come to that same conclusion.

Sango abruptly joined the two compatriots with a smug smile. "That girl acted like she had never seen a shower or faucet before. Anyway, she should be clean and dressed soon." The demon slayer seemed pleased with herself. Confusion etched her features when she noted both Miroku and Inuyasha's apparent agitation. "What is going on?"

Miroku only stared at Inuyasha, then shook his head. "Apparently, Ash ran into a vengeful demon while camping. I hope it is only an isolated incident. Since we haven't heard of any unexplained events at Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park recently, I think we can let this one slide. But…

As Miroku paused, Inuyasha only glared at his friend.

The monk continued. "If this turns out to be part of a series of attacks, I will be contacting the Taijiya and they will be doing a thorough investigation."

Inuyasha crossed his arms again. "It's over. The demon is dead. They don't need to get involved."

Sango stared at Inuyasha as if she were trying to figure out a puzzle. "We all believe that you can handle yourself, Ash. But you were injured. This was something more than an everyday demonic attack. Perhaps you should join us in training?"

Miroku only gave Sango a pleased smile and then turned to Inuyasha. "Think about it, Ash. Perhaps you were only injured because you haven't been properly trained. With some formal schooling you would be a force to be reckoned with."

Inuyasha only raised an eyebrow at his friend and spoke in a monotone voice. "I'll think about it."

Miroku only sighed.

~~~oo0oo~~~

After Kagome had gotten dressed, Sango had decreed that the entire group needed to go to the mall. Kagome was in need of proper clothes and apparently Inuyasha was to foot the bill.

Inuyasha actually surprised himself by not even putting up too much of a protest. As much as he hated shopping, he knew that the girl had almost nothing and he had a large inheritance to spend.

Once they were at the mall they split up. The girls went shopping while the boys stopped to at video game stores and then got a bite to eat.

Inuyasha normally had a fierce appetite, but the 'WacDonald's' fries and hamburger seemed bland today. He nibbled on an errant fry before a frown took over his face. Nothing tasted appetizing right now and his stomach felt both queasy and insubstantial.

"Are you going to talk about it?" asked the monk who was staring at Inuyasha with a look of patient concern.

"Talk about what?" asked Inuyasha as he smashed the fry against the table. Somehow seeing the pulp of the potato squished into a blob made him feel a little better.

"About Kagome…" continued Miroku as he raised an eyebrow and calmly looked at his fidgeting friend.

Inuyasha had looked so lost and confused, but for the briefest of seconds, when Kagome's name was mentioned, he seemed to snap to attention. Then a frown marked his features, his hands crossed against his chest.

"What about her?" he growled.

"Mirkou, Ash…there you are!" Sango's voice rang clean and true against the background noise of the mall.

Inuyasha ignored his friend's question and chose to look at the girls instead. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about Kagome, since he really didn't know what to make of her himself. There was just no way that he could tell anyone the full truth about Kagome. He knew that if Mirkou knew the entire story, he would say the miko was insane and the last thing he wanted was for the monk to tell him to get rid of the girl. More than anything he sensed that she needed a guide, a protector. She might be insane, but she had saved his life. Somehow he felt it was his duty to return the favor. He couldn't understand why he felt this need, but it was there none-the-less. What seemed even stranger to him was that her apparent 'insanity' did not bother him very much. It was as if he viewed it as a quirk, rather than a gaping character flaw.

'What the fuck am I doing? Am I just as insane as Kagome?' he asked himself yet again as he watched the girls approach.

Inuyasha didn't notice, but his friend was watching the hanyou with fascination.

Inuyasha's eyes were fixated on the girl. His mouth was partially open; a look of both awe and confusion drew itself across his face.

Kagome was no longer wearing her miko robes. Instead, Sango had managed to get the girl into modern clothes. The miko was wearing thigh-high white socks, revealing a small swath of creamy skin before her legs were hidden under a very short, green mini-skirt. The hanyou's eyes crept even higher to see a white blouse, waves of long black hair and a blushing face.

The girl seemed to be struggling with her clothes. She kept on tugging on her mini-skirt and trying to pull it further down. Sango whispered to the girl and drew her hands away from her skirt. It made the redness of Kagome's cheeks grow more intense.

At that moment the girl's stormy grey-blue eyes found Inuyasha's. A soft, subtle smile found their way to her lips and the hanyou found that he mimicked her smile. He felt the tension in his shoulders start to lessen.

Miroku watched the whole exchange with a look of calm interest.

Sango was the first to plop herself down on the chair next to Miroku, piles of bags unceremoniously dumped next to her seat.

Kagome timidly sat down on the plastic chair next to Inuyasha, while she studiously smoothed out wrinkles and tried to pull the small skirt down as far as it would go.

"I think that was a success," laughed Sango as she made a grab for Miroku's soda. She slurped loudly and sighed as she leaned back in her seat. Her belly shirt rode up and Miroku seemed to have abandoned his interrogation of Inuyasha. He had better things to catch his attention.

His hand seemed to have a mind of its own and started to move toward her exposed belly.

"Whap."

Sango's hand batted away Miroku's like a fly swatter to a bug.

"Ouch…" whimpered Miroku.

"Watch what you touch in public, monk!"

"But honeybunch," the man protested. "It isn't anything that I haven't touched when we were alone together…"

Sango gave her boyfriend the evil eye. "Yes, when we're alone and not in a crowded mall."

"Miko-san!" A lone voice called out above the crowd.

Inuyasha tried to stifle a groan when he saw Hojo rushing toward their group, with a small package under his arm. He muttered, "Who the hell invited him?"

Sango looked at the hanyou lazily. "He called me while we were shopping. He said that he had some clothes for Kagome to wear and seeing that she only has the clothes on her back, I thought it would be good that she received them as soon as possible."

Inuyasha only grunted in acknowledgement. He moved to sit up straighter and crossed his arms in front of his chest again. He watched as Hojo approached, the boy's eyes widening when he noticed Kagome's change in attire. Hojo's eyes lingered far too long on Kagome's legs for Inuyasha's tastes. Even if the hanyou had done the exact same thing only moments before.

The boy stopped in front of the table, his red cheeks glowing as he gazed at the miko. He bowed hurriedly and then thrust a package into Kagome's lap. It was a perfectly wrapped gift, adorned with white tissue paper and a paper origami butterfly. "For you Miko-san!" the boy stated proudly.

Kagome blushed as she took the proffered gift. The queasy feeling in Inuyasha's gut started to percolate again.

Gingerly she tore at the wrapping until some lovely miko's robes were revealed. There was even a spare set of geta and tabi socks inside the box.

Kagome looked up, her eyes alight with tenderness. "Thank you for giving me a new set of robes. I hope to work at a shrine again soon and I would have needed proper clothes to work."

The boy only nodded while scratching the back of his head. His blush deepened as he spoke again. "Actually, that was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. There is an opening at the shrine I work at. I can bring you in tomorrow for an interview. They are in need of a miko and when I told them that you might be looking for a job."

Things were spinning far too fast for Inuyasha to keep up.

Kagome beamed a winsome smile. "Really? That would be wonderful. How can I get there?"

Inuyasha shoved his chair closer to Kagome's and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll meet you together at that shrine you work at."

"I can pick her up and take her there," answered Hojo calmly. The boy looked at Inuyasha's arm on Kagome's shoulder with a look of perplexity.

"She's too new to the city. I'm escorting her everywhere until she gets her bearings," replied Inuyasha tersely.

A calm smile suffused Kagome's features. She turned to smile at the hanyou. "Thank you, Inu…"

Inuyasha made a quick shushing sound before he muttered. "Don't use that name in public, only call me Ash."

"Oh," replied the miko as she drew her brows together in perplexity. "Well, then thank you for offering to take me to the shrine Hojo works at...Ash." She then turned to Hojo. "And thank you for helping me to get started at a new shrine. I don't want to be a burden to anyone and I need to earn my own living."

Inuyasha quickly cut in, looking the miko squarely in the face. "You're not a burden…"

Kagome only returned his look with a sad smile.

~~~oo0oo~~~

It took far too long, as far as Inuyasha was concerned, for Kagome to get back into his apartment. He had even adamantly refused first Sango's and then Hojo's offer to let Kagome stay with them.

'As if she should be staying with anyone else…' he grumbled.

Once they were through the front door, Kagome wavered in the genkan next to the front door. She had taken off her geta sandals and had put on a pair of guest slippers. But she seemed to stand there, immobile, wondering where her feet should take her next.

"Make yourself at home," he yelled behind himself as he made his way to his small fridge to grab a rice cake.

However, the miko still stood there, indecisive. "I don't know if this is a good idea," she spoke, seemingly to the air.

"Wha…umph?" asked Inuyasha as he spun around, a rice cake halfway out of his mouth. He managed to spew a few rice grains onto his floor.

A look of shock overcame Kagome's features before she started to sputter with laughter. She shook her head and then looked Inuyasha squarely in the face again.

"I just said I don't know if this is a good idea. Perhaps I should have stayed with Sango," she said with a sigh as she rubbed her shoulder.

Inuyasha took in her appearance. She had looked lovely when she was in her miko's robes, but now that she was wearing thigh-highs and a short mini-skirt… Well, she looked hot. He was just happy Hojo was no longer looking at her. He shoved the rest of the rice cake into his mouth. After chewing he spoke again.

"Trust me, it wouldn't have gone over well. If any one of them get wind of your story, they'll write you off as being certifiably insane."

Surprise flittered across her face before dejection set in. "I suppose you are right. No one in their right mind would believe my story."

Inuyasha only snorted in response. Then he gestured to his bedroom.

Kagome only stood stiffly, not making any move to follow him as her cheeks became shockingly red. "I cannot go in there," she muttered.

"What? Why? You slept in there last night," queried Inuyasha in confusion.

"I…I cannot sleep with you…in the same bed," answered Kagome as she rubbed her arms and seemed to be looking anywhere but at the hanyou in front of her.

Inuyasha's violet eyes widened to comical proportions. "Oh shit. No, I didn't mean that…I meant…Shit!" He paused for a brief moment, gathering another calming breath before continuing. "You can stay in my room. I have another futon in the living room that I'll use tonight. It's normally for guests, but I thought…Shit. I'll take the guest futon tonight. Alright?"

The blush on her cheeks faded; she smiled and bowed demurely. Tentatively she walked into Inuyasha's room and put some of her new bags in the corner.

"Oh and that," Inuyasha quickly realized that she had a lot of clothes that needed storing. "Put them in here…"

Inuyasha quickly made his way over to a large closet, and pulled some blankets and pillows out of an alcove, leaving a small space for Kagome to put her stuff. "I'll just…" Inuyasha motioned to the other room.

Kagome only smiled as he backed out of his own room and nearly stumbled into the hallway.

Inuyasha heard the door of his room close behind him as he made his way to the living room. He pulled his futon down and put the extra blankets and pillow on it.

By the time he had settled on his futon, he knew it would be a long night and sleep would easily evade him. Just the thought of Kagome sleeping in his own bed, down the hall, did something to his gut. Unfortunately, it also did something to other parts of his body that seemed to be thrilled that she was sleeping in his bed.

He tried his best to dismiss the torrid thoughts that were percolating in his brain about Kagome. He tried to ignore his own body. And most of all, he tried to ignore that bizarre, queasy feeling in his stomach. He did his best to dismiss the odd sensation as he tossed and turned in his futon for most of the night.

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter:_**_ Memories_

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: Sorry for the delay in posting. I had intended to post in Saturday, but a trip to Disneyland (and 3 rides on Star Tours delayed posting until today)._

_#2: 500 years ago, Tokyo was called 'Edo.' Kagome would have never heard of Tokyo. Too bad that Inuyasha doesn't know enough about history to explain it to Kagome. ;-)_

_#3: 'Moshi, moshi' is the standard greeting in Japan when you answer a phone._

_#4: 'WacDonalds' is Rumiko Takahashi's version of MacDonalds in her Inuyasha series._

_#5: A 'genkan' (similar to a foyer) is a small alcove next to the front door of any Japanese home where you take off your 'outdoor' shoes and put on slippers or 'indoor' shoes. (It certainly saves a lot of wear and tear on the tatami mats and makes for less cleaning.)_

_#6: I am actually styling Inuyasha's apartment after my brother's Japanese apartment. If I surprise you by any descriptions, keep in mind that I am describing the real thing. ;-)_


	4. Chapter 4: Memories

**Chapter Four: Memories**

**_Warnings:_**_ Some swearing and violence  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: Kmoaton, Alpine and SplendentGoddess_  
_~~~oo0oo~~~_

_By the time Inuyasha had settled on his futon, he knew it would be a long night and sleep would easily evade him. Just the thought of Kagome sleeping in his own bed, down the hall, did something to his gut. Unfortunately, it also did something to other parts of his body that seemed to be thrilled that she was sleeping in his bed._

_He tried his best to dismiss the torrid thoughts that were percolating in his brain about Kagome. He tried to ignore his own body. And most of all, he tried to ignore that bizarre, queasy feeling in his stomach. He did his best to dismiss the odd sensation as he tossed and turned in his futon for most of the night._

~~~oo0oo~~~

He felt like he was floating, perhaps he was dreaming. Inuyasha let one indolent violet eye open to look at his surroundings. He should have been confused or startled to see that he was sleeping on the ground in a mist. But somehow it just seemed familiar, as if he had been there before.

He heard a figure approaching, so he did his best to get onto his feet.

There was something familiar about the person. It was a man and he was wearing a scarlet red kimono. But the obscuring mist made it difficult to determine anything else.

Inuyasha squinted his eyes as the person moved forward. Once the man was removed from the fog, he came into sharp focus.

Inuyasha was looking at his hanyou self again. The man had long, silver hair, golden eyes and two puppy-like ears. He was wearing the objects that Kagome had given him, the robe of the firerat and the Tessaiga was belted to his side. For some reason he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, while his doppelganger seemed dressed for ancient warfare.

There was something unnerving about looking at yourself. What made it even worse is that the man didn't move like he did. This man had more fluid movements and had a wary look in his eyes bordering on distrust.

The other Inuyasha paused to look at his duplicate before smirking. "It's about time! You finally have her and you're not dying."

The jean-clad Inuyasha only narrowed his eyes at the jest. "What do you want this time?"

The Inuyasha in the red robes only looked him in the eyes, searching for something. He must have found what he was seeking, for he nodded to himself and then spoke. "You need to remember."

The black-haired Inuyasha snorted. "I haven't forgotten anything…"

The ancient Inuyasha only stared at his modern counterpart. Then the floor underneath the modern teen started to dissipate. The mists darkened and he was surrounded by night.

It took a few moments for Inuyasha to gather his senses again. The grey mists faded into a large forest. He was high in a tree and when he examined his own hands, he saw claws and his hair had reverted back to its natural silver color. More importantly, he was garbed in the robe of the firerat, though he noticed that he had no sword by his side.

He moved through the trees, the only sound of his passage was the gentle rustle of leaves. He let his body guide him; he knew where he was going.

For many years he had suffered as a hanyou. He was neither human nor demon and was ostracized by both. He had heard tales of a magical jewel, one that granted wishes, one that called to both human and demon alike. One that could make him whole... A sacred jewel that could make him a full demon... It could finally grant him everything he wished: power, acceptance and respect.

He knew that a human protected the jewel, but he only scoffed at the idea. There was no way that a mere human could keep him away from something he really desired. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight and a sneer drew itself across his thin lips. The human would never even know who took it.

Inuyasha was quite sure that a spiritualist was protecting the magical Shikon jewel, so he took to observing the village before he attempted to steal the item.

The small village on a mountainside was fairly commonplace. It housed a large Shinto shrine, had many small huts and was surrounded by rice fields. It didn't take long for him to find his target.

He was surprised to find that it was a girl protecting the jewel. Her uniform of a white haori with billowing sleeves and red hakama labeled her as a miko. Around her neck was the object he was seeking. He instinctively leaned forward when he spotted the object. It was a strange pearl-like object that glowed in successive colors of white, pink and purple. It pulsed as if it were alive.

Inuyasha snorted to himself. It could very well be alive, it was said to house 'four souls' within its depths. The jewel might even be sentient. Like any other demon in the vicinity, he felt its call. Being a hanyou, the draw was not quite as strong, but he still heard its plaintive whispers in the wind, promising him his heart's desire if he would only take the jewel and make a wish upon it.

"Kagome-sama!"

Inuyasha was quickly taken out of his reverie and his contemplation of the jewel when a young boy appeared next to the miko. The boy must have just started puberty; perhaps he was twelve or thirteen years of age. The young man was dressed as a Shinto priest in training, wearing the ceremonial robes of a kannushi.

The boy with almond eyes and long black hair looked up at the miko fondly. It was only then that Inuyasha took the time to actually notice the miko's features. The girl smiled down at the younger boy, with a look of detached bemusement.

The hanyou found himself entranced with her. She was a lovely beauty; perhaps she was eighteen years of age. Her hair was long and ebony. However, unlike the rigidly straight hair of most Japanese women, her hair had gentle, loose waves that were drawn into a traditional miko ponytail behind her back, festooned with white ribbons. However, it was her eyes that drew him in the most. They were grey-blue, which was astounding in a land of brown eyes. Perhaps the girl had some foreign blood in her, perhaps from the Portuguese that had recently landed on their shores? She looked almost as exotic as he was.

He found that he started to follow her. He told himself that it was only to learn her habits and to find a weakness. He ignored the driving desire he felt to just watch her.

He soon learned that the miko and the boy were both orphans. Kagome had been left at the Shrine's steps when she was a babe. It was rumored in the village that she was the product of rape or perhaps a child of a prostitute. It was noted by the villagers that her strange looks could only be the product of a union between a foreigner and a Japanese woman. As such, the striking beauty was an untouchable. It didn't matter that she was gorgeous; no man in the village would have her. The villagers had whispered that she was lucky to have been raised at a neighboring shrine as a miko, rather than suffer the normal fate of being drowned as a newborn.

Even if she was not a woman that was considered marriageable, she had already won over the hearts of most of the village with her healing and spiritual abilities. She was the first person the villagers came to when someone was hurt or sick. She was also their front-line if there was ever a demonic attack.

The young kannushi was training under her and she was his tutor. Inuyasha watched from afar as he saw the girl patiently show the lad how to heal the sick or how to fire a spiritual arrow. The boy didn't seem to have her latent talents, but she was patient and never chastised him for his lack of skill.

One thing Inuyasha did notice was the young boy looking at Kagome with a longing that no one else in the village dared to look at her with. Perhaps the lad was too young to know that he shouldn't be attracted to the girl or perhaps his own lack of heritage marked him as an outcast like the miko.

For some reason the hanyou was relieved to see the miko treating the young boy's affections with polite dismissal. Either she did not see herself as worthy of affection or thought the boy was too young to know any better. He could see the growing frustration in the young boy however, and the kannushi's intense desire to please his older tutor.

After watching for a fortnight and listening to the whispered rumors that surrounded the village, Inuyasha decided to act. He had been there too long wasting time. He had come for the jewel and he was damned sure that he could steal it from the girl; she was only a human. He only needed to isolate the girl and then he could strike.

He waited until he saw the miko with an empty basket in her hands. He knew enough about her to know that she often visited the nearby forest to gather herbs.

Inuyasha followed her stealthily in the trees. He was as silent as the wind. He was quite sure that she would never know who stole the jewel from her. The hanyou already had it all mapped out. He would simply swipe his claws at her necklace, grab the jewel and then flee into the trees. She would be relieved of her burden and he could finally have his wish to be made whole.

He ignored the nagging feeling inside of him that told him that it was wrong to steal from the girl. It felt dishonorable. But the jewel called to him, whispering promises of power and acceptance.

He waited until her back was turned to him. She was gathering herbs in the field, crouching down. He leapt down from the tree in which he had been hiding; his quick hanyou reflexes carried him across the grass, toward his unknowing opponent. He almost felt guilty for what he was about to do…

That was until the girl twisted to face him, her bow drawn. Before he could even breathe, two arrows flew in quick succession, pinning him to a tree.

His face must have showed his immense shock at being stopped by a mere waif.

Kagome stood up, shouldered her bow and her basket. Then for the first time she addressed him.

"I had been wondering when you would make yourself known. So it was you who has been watching my village these past weeks."

His eyes only widened in disbelief, he nearly sputtered a response, but she cut him off.

"Don't make me waste more arrows on you, hanyou."

Then she turned her back to him, finished gathering some herbs and walked away as if he had never been there. He didn't know what to make of her. She had actually known he was there all along? Perhaps her spiritual abilities also allowed her to sense the auras of demons? How else could she have known?

Inuyasha then tried to extricate himself from the tree he was attached to. His hand tried to reach the arrow that pinned him, only to have his hand burn as he tried to grab it. He had to disrobe to free himself and then rip his clothing from the tree.

Now he was thoroughly pissed at the miko.

He tried a few more times to steal the jewel from the girl, but he always met the same fate, pinned to a tree by her arrows. Each time she said the same thing. She asked him to stop so that she wouldn't be wasting any more of her precious arrows.

In a moment of anger, he finally addressed her. "Why don't you finish me off? You know I'll keep on coming back!"

It was the first time he noticed any reaction from her cool, outward demeanor. For a fraction of a second he noticed her shoulders sag, before she righted herself and straightened her shoulders.

"I know, too, what it is like to be of mixed blood, hanyou… Now go away before I do finish you off."

He didn't attack her again after that. For some reason, his anger had cooled and the jewel's whispers had started to fade.

He told himself that he was merely watching to find a weakness in her defense. But he found his thoughts drifting away from the jewel and centering more on the miko that was defending the object. Did she really know what it was like to be rejected by society, to be an outcast? Did her foreign blood mark her as much as his mixed human/demonic blood?

It had been some months after his final attempt when he heard the screaming of a swarm of demons approaching.

Many demons had attempted to steal the jewel from Kagome while he watched, but it was only a single demon or a small group. What was coming to the village looked more like a blackened cloud descending in successive waves.

He kept his distance, standing in his tree at the edge of the village as he watched the onslaught take place. He almost smirked when he saw the miko face the gathering swarm with the young boy and an older miko by her side. He didn't know who he felt more sorry for, the triumvirate that was defending the village or the demons who were attacking.

Somehow the trio had made a barrier that blocked the lesser demons from entering. The weaker demons splattered like bugs underfoot when they hit the glowing pink barrier.

However, the stronger demons were able to make it past the defense. He watched in fascination as the girl wielded her arrows. From her bow she fired purifying hellfire upon the attacking foes. He had never seen her truly fight as hard as he was seeing tonight. Her arrows were liquid flame that engulfed every demon they touched in a brilliant white, before they turned into ashes, fluttering back to the ground as dust.

The boy by her side held a sword that must have been tempered with purification powers, for only a scratch from the weapon had greater demons howling in pain. Inuyasha had never truly liked the kid, but he did admire the tyke's hutzpah. A normal boy would have been fleeing in terror, but this young man had something to prove. He smiled at every slash and then quickly looked up at his older tutor with eager eyes hoping for her to acknowledge his hard work.

Next to the young man was a wizened miko. She wasn't as quick as the other two defenders, but Inuyasha noticed that she was channeling all of her strength into the shield that surrounded them. The old woman was chanting ancient words as she wrapped prayer beads around her joined hands. Her supplications seemed to strengthen the barrier before them.

Somewhere, deep in his gut, he felt an uncertainty. Something was vibrating within him that was akin to worry. He tried to shake off the feeling.

He had been waiting and this was finally his opportunity. He only had to wait until the miko was finally felled by a demon, then he could quickly sneak in and take the jewel for himself. All he had to do was bide his time.

Inuyasha could tell that the miko was weakening. She wasn't standing quite as tall, blackened blood marred her face and worry creased her brow. The most telling sign was that her quiver was slowly being emptied; she only had a few arrows left.

The boy next to her had wearied movements, his clothing was starting to tatter and become bloodied from demonic attacks. His youthful enthusiasm was lost as the fight wore on with no sign of stopping.

The older miko's eyes were now closed. Sweat was beading down her brow and the barrier around the triad was starting to flicker, like a candle's flame that was sputtering to a close.

The worry that had sparked in Inuyasha's gut started to escape from him. The jewel was calling to him, telling him that this was the moment he had been waiting for…a moment of weakness. But there was something stronger that was raging within him. He could only look on with apprehension as the tides of battle turned against the trio of humans attempting to defend the village.

Inuyasha stared at the miko. He should be happy that she was about to be struck down. The very miko who had taunted him and had told him he was a waste of arrows would not survive this very night.

He couldn't explain why dread vibrated in his gut. But deep inside, he only saw a sad beauty defending her home. A woman who had told him that she also knew what it was like to be of mixed blood.

The next moments seem to happen simultaneously. The old miko's barrier finally flickered away, it's light extinguished. Then the full impact of the remaining horde descended onto the small group.

The boy was the first to fall. The young frame crumpled to the ground as an ogre's claws slashed viciously down the boy's back, leaving a gurgled scream that erupted from the young man's throat.

Kagome immediately fell to the boy's side, exposing her back to the oncoming throng. It was suicide.

Inuyasha should have stolen the jewel then, but he found his feet propelled to the miko's side before he could take in another breath. He just knew that he had to help the miko. For some reason the thought of her being torn down terrified him. Kagome was clutching the young boy to her chest, sobbing in anguish. A large ogre was at her back with sharp claws and glistening long teeth ready to impale themselves upon her tender flesh.

Suddenly, he was there between the ogre and Kagome. His claws ripped the demon in two, splitting him down the middle.

He grabbed Kagome by the waist and hauled her up. Wet tears and a sense of the inevitable reigned on her face, until the flickering of surprise and confusion suffused her features. "Fight, dammit!" he yelled in her face. "Fight!"

She stumbled back, grabbing the boy's sword and renewed her attack. She wasn't a graceful sword user, but she could channel a purifying punch into the metal blade.

For the next few fateful minutes they stood back to back, fighting together. He lashed at anything that came his way; if it wasn't his claws it was his own blood that fell like blades against his attackers. Somewhere in the depths of his soul the call for the jewel had quieted, the only thing driving him now was the need to protect the girl behind him. Somehow that gave him an inner strength that before now had been unknown; for the first time he had reached into himself and had sought to protect another. His fury and emotions welled up inside him, making him a deadly foe.

All too suddenly the din of the battle faded into deathly silence. He heard his own shuddered breaths as he turned to the miko, expecting a word of thanks from his erstwhile foe. He was surprised and actually rather annoyed when the miko threw her arms around the young boy who had been felled.

"Naraku!" She cried. "Don't you dare give up on me!"

Then she looked up at the hanyou, who had saved their lives. "You have got to help him, he's only a boy. Take us to my hut."

Inuyasha should have refused her. She had never even acknowledged what he had done. But he found himself sweeping the boy, Kagome and the older miko into his grasp and swiftly carrying them to the girl's hut. Then Kagome and Kaede instantly ignored him, pulling healing salves out of jars, pulling out bandages and quickly going to work on the boy who had just had his spine clawed and lacerated.

The hanyou growled in frustration and walked out the front door. For the first time since he had been orphaned he had done something good and no one seemed to acknowledge his deed. He should have left the miko then and there. But he stood outside of her hut as a silent defender. His heart was heavy, but it wasn't with regret, it was only filled with detached bitterness. He was certain that he would always be the outsider looking in.

He didn't mark the time that he had watched over the home. But once the sun peaked its warm rays over the horizon, turning the darkness into grey and then shimmering pink, the hut's front flap flipped open.

Inuyasha turned in startled surprise to see the young miko bowing to him. "Hanyou-san, would you like to have breakfast with us?"

He blinked in surprise. He didn't remember anyone ever inviting him to join them for a meal since his mother had died long ago.

"Inuyasha…" he said gruffly.

The miko looked up from her bow and regarded him quizzically. "Inuyasha…?"

"My name," he retorted with a little too much venom, but it had been a trying night. He tried to make his next words sound more subdued. "My name is Inuyasha."

"Ah," chimed in the miko as she bowed again. "My name is Kagome. My companions are Kaede and Naraku. Would you like to join us for breakfast, Inuyasha?"

He tried to grouse, he really did. But a small smirk tugged at the side of his mouth at the invitation and he silently joined them for breakfast.

In the aftermath of the fight Inuyasha found himself staying with his strange new companions. The two mikos provided him with a bedroll and regular meals. But the boy never truly recovered. Even though he managed to live, he was never able to walk again.

Inuyasha supposed that he should have been more sympathetic to the boy; after all he was paralyzed from the waist down. But for the first time in his life he felt too content to worry about anything or anyone else who might have been suffering.

He soon took up the role of being a protector of the village, especially since the young kannushi was no longer there to help. He would often fight alongside Kagome, and even in the midst of battle he felt at peace. He finally had someone to protect, someone who had become his companion. He often looked at the miko when she wasn't aware; a contented smile drew itself across his lips. And sometimes she would return his slow smile with one of her own.

Something started to change deep inside of him, when once he had only felt internal anger and bitter rancor, now he felt an inner peace and warmth whenever he was with the miko. The only time he knew any discontent was when Kagome was in danger. Even the villagers seemed to adapt to him. After defending the village they even brought both him and the miko occasional tribute. The first time they had brought him a bushel of rice and vegetables he had been befuddled. Now it was a measure of acceptance that he was starting to expect.

However, like most things in his life, peace was fleeting. One night after everyone had dozed off to sleep he silently gazed at Kagome. He tilted his head to get a better look at her. He would never tell her that she looked beautiful or that he would sometimes stare at her while she slept. But another pair of eyes in the room had already discovered his secret.

A hoarse young voice spoke up. "Stop staring at her. She's not for you to look at," muttered the young boy.

Inuyasha was startled out of his reverie. He should have noticed the lad glowering at him with twitching anger in his eyes, but he had become too distracted.

"Feh. I wasn't looking at her," he responded in a dismissing tone and then tried to settle back to sleep. He'd look at Kagome again after the kannushi was asleep. It wasn't as if he really needed as much sleep as a human, he could be patient.

The boy coughed, his voice rose in volume as he spoke. "I see you looking at her every night. Don't tell me that you don't look at her!"

Inuyasha settled uneasily against the wall, trying to ignore the young man.

"She's mine you know. I'm going to marry her when I come of age," claimed the young boy.

"What?" This was certainly news to him. He had never heard a rumor about their engagement, but then such things were often arranged at birth between couples that knew less about each other than these spiritualists. Somehow the thought of Kagome married to anyone caused a twinge near his heart. He hated the sour feeling that was percolating in his gut. He tried to dismiss it.

"Do you really think that she could be with a hanyou?" the young boy scoffed. "Mikos need to remain pure, they can't even let someone with demonic powers touch them. They can only be with a human. If a demon is with a miko, they lose all of their powers." The young boy grinned as he saw the startled look on the hanyou's face.

For the next few days sleep evaded Inuyasha.

~~~oo0oo~~~

It was harder to be around Kagome after he found out that she could never be with him. He tried not to be bitter, but it gnawed at him and made him very irritable. He couldn't see why she had chosen the young boy, but then he imagined it was probably never her choice to make. The young boy and Kagome were both outcasts, and she could only be with a human.

He should have realized that she would never truly ally herself with a hanyou. Somewhere, deep down inside he had hoped that she would one day come to love him and perhaps even become his mate. He knew that she did care for him. However, now he started to see her warmth and kindness in a different light. Wasn't she just as caring to any villager that she healed, even the ones who rejected her? Truly, Inuyasha came to see that he really did not have a special place in her heart. At most, she must have only pitied him.

It was then that he tried to distance himself from Kagome. He could tell that she was confused with his behavior, but he wasn't going to explain himself. She should know that they could never be more than acquaintances and that required a measure of aloofness. His anger boiled within him, but he could never find it within himself to abandon her. Being with her riled his internal anger, but being away from her only made him anxious with worry.

During this time his brother had made it known that he was searching for his father's gravesite. Since Inuyasha had never known where his old man was buried, he never thought Sesshoumaru would seek him out.

He was wrong.

Inuyasha remembered his older brother ripping a blackened gem out of his eye and then using the gem to open up a portal to the realm of the dead.

His brother, the full dog demon, made his way through the swirling gate. To his surprise, Kagome quickly shadowed him and then yelled at him to follow her.

"Fucking meddlesome wench!" he shouted as he followed her into the unknown.

What followed was something that would forever wrack his nerves. In the bowels of his father's immense bones was a sword that Sesshoumaru had titled 'Tessaiga.' It was his father's heirloom and his older brother deemed it to be his.

But when the elder brother tried to pull the sword from its resting place, it wouldn't budge. In fact, it shocked the demon with an electrifying repulsion, charring the demon's hands.

It was Kagome who finally called upon him to pull the sword from the stone. At first the sword wouldn't budge under his hands and he almost gave up in defeat. But then he saw his older brother's gleaming golden eyes and the poisonous claws threatening Kagome.

What happened next was purely instinct. The sword pulsed in his hands and slid free from its confines, as if glue that had been holding it down suddenly dissolved. He waved the sword as he yelled, swinging it at his brother in a mad attempt to defend Kagome from a certain death.

His sword suddenly transformed in his hand. It glowed and enlarged like a blade of moonlight, his father's fang alive in his grip. Green poison vaporized against the Tessaiga, but he was too late. The poison melted the ribs of his father's bones, entombing Kagome in a wall of molten fluid.

A strangled cry erupted from him. Inuyasha felt like his insides had been ripped asunder. Emptiness and bitter anger overcame him.

Sesshoumaru was going to pay for Kagome's death.

His blows fell in rapid succession, pushing the dog demon back. Sesshoumaru only snarled before changing into his true form, that of a gigantic dog demon that towered over Inuyasha like a monumental dinosaur.

The transformation of his brother didn't faze Inuyasha. Kagome had died. Sesshoumaru had killed her and he was too late to save her. His own self-loathing for not being able to protect the girl was only outdone by his need to kill his own brother.

The fang slashed and swung at its opponent until Inuyashsa had managed to slice off his brother's left foreleg. The huge dog howled in pain before it leapt away from the Tessaiga, licking his wounds.

"Come back here, you bastard!" Inuyasha fell to his knees. "Come back here and fight, Sesshoumaru!"

He didn't know how long he stood there, tears sliding down his face. His only condolence was that no one was there to see his uncontrolled emotions.

Inuyasha should have known that Kagome wasn't easily killed. She had somehow placed a barrier around herself and managed to smash the cocoon that surrounded her with a purifying arrow.

During his grief she had approached him. "Inuyasha…?" she had whispered tentatively.

He didn't think as he grabbed Kagome and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Fuck. I thought you were dead, I thought…" He held her fast and didn't seem to care that she knew he had been crying or what the tears had meant.

It took a few seconds for him to come to his senses. His eyes widened in realization of his enormous blunder and he tried to push Kagome away.

The young miko was having none of that. She stomped her feet and glared at him.

"No! I am not going over this again with you! Why are you so hot and cold?!" She shoved him in the chest with the flat of her palm. Kagome's anger rose and her words increased in volume. "Why do you always push me away?"

His look of cold fury caused her anger to drain. "You know why, Kagome," he yelled. "I'm a fucking hanyou and mikos aren't allowed to have someone impure like me touch them!"

The look on her face was of disbelief. "Who told you that?" her voice rose and she started to slap his chest again. "Who told you that, Inuyasha?"

"Naraku," the hanyou yelled. "He said you were promised to him and that I better stay away from you. That I could fuck up your powers if I got too close to you."

"He told you what?" She paused in her tirade to look up at Inuyasha with widened eyes. "And you believed him?"

Inuyasha was stunned into submission. He never doubted the boy. As a hanyou he had been rejected his entire life; it had become commonplace. It was his moments of happiness with Kagome that he saw as fleeting.

"So what…" Kagome was in his face again. "So if you hugged me, I'm going to lose my powers?"

"I don't…" he responded.

"What if you kissed me?" The miko continued with her interrogation. "Am I suddenly going to have my spiritual abilities fizzle away into nothingness?"

"I…I don't…" he stuttered, wondering not for the first time what it would be like to kiss her.

"That's right, Inuyasha. You don't know. That was all lies! My mother was a prostitute; my father was a foreigner. If your 'impure' assumption were even true, I'd never have any spiritual abilities to begin with! My very birth was about as impure as you could get!" She was seething as she forcefully hit his chest again and again. "You…you…idiot!"

Then she did something he wasn't expecting. She grabbed his forelocks in her hands and pulled him to her. Her lips found his and her soft body pressed up against him. Normally he would have pushed her away. He'd never risk her loss of powers on something like a kiss, no matter how much be wanted it. But he had thought she had died, and right now he was miserably weak.

He responded in kind, gathering her wavy tresses in his hands. Touching her cheeks and sliding his lips against hers before she parted her own with a sigh. He delved into her mouth, savoring what he found, desperation guiding his movements.

He told himself, 'Only once…' He would stop after one moment of giving in. He just couldn't help himself now. His heart drummed in his chest; his breaths were short and violent, his hands shaking as he held her to him.

When their lips finally parted, they were both panting and he felt instant emptiness. He looked at her kiss-swollen lips and then he moved to kiss her again. This time it was not sudden; it was gentle and reverent. As if it would be the last time he would ever dare to kiss her.

When he told her they should never kiss again, Kagome had other ideas. She told him that she needed to prove him wrong. So she would kiss him and then show that her powers were still working. She repeated this every time he doubted her. He might have even pretended to doubt her a few times, just to get her close to him again.

When they finally got back to the village, Kagome had a long talk with Naraku. Inuyasha had given them privacy, so he never knew what the conversation entailed, but he only knew the sullen boy started to become more listless and angry as time passed.

During the next months, Inuyasha finally learned how to wield the Tessaiga properly, having perfected the 'Wind Scar' and the 'Backlash Wave.' His father's fang finally felt at home in his hand, its weight familiar. It became an extension of himself; a weapon that he handled with growing clarity and wisdom.

Sesshoumaru was starting to even show Inuyasha a grudging respect, though there would never be harmony between the brothers. It might have been Sesshoumaru's human companion, Rin, who had managed to soften his frozen exterior.

Inuyasha still traveled with Kagome and he found their new intimacy amazing. However, as much as he had dreamed of taking Kagome as a wife, he never tried to push their companionship past an occasional kiss. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still worried that Naraku's words might indeed come true.

Of course, even someone as honorable and stubborn as Inuyasha could be pushed past his limits. The first time he had seen the miko nude was when they had encountered the Peach Man. Kagome had been captured and was being prepared as a meal. He found her naked and soaking in a sake bath, demons with sharp knives had surrounded her, ready to make her the next entrée. She had never been so happy to see him. Kagome had lost all sense of modesty when she rose from the tub, sake dripping off of her ivory skin, rosy pert breasts on full display and her dark hair clinging to her shoulders and curving around her breasts.

It was an image that would forever be emblazoned in his mind. Despite the welcome vision he was facing, he was an honorable man. He quickly put his haori over her nakedness and even evaded his eyes until she got dressed.

That moment quickly became his undoing, repeating itself, especially when his eyes were closed. It made him think of the possibility of Kagome as a sexual companion, a wife, rather than just a close friend that he occasionally kissed.

Eventually his desires found root in his need to build a hut for his desired family. Even the villagers helped him, giving him tatami mats, wood and other building supplies to furnish his new den. He never told Kagome why he was building the new accommodations, but he knew it was for her. He couldn't take her as a wife if Naraku was glaring at them every night. They would need their own place to live.

It was when his new hut was almost done that he finally asked Kagome to be with him. He supposed that he could have been a little more tactful. He only mentioned that the hut was almost done and that he wanted her to move in with him. She was the one who drew the conclusions, she was the one who first mentioned the words husband and wife.

There was to be a small ceremony lead by Kaede. They did their best to keep the knowledge from the young cripple who had once fancied himself as Kagome's suitor. But once he found out the truth from a villager he could only rage. This time his anger became directed at both of them. Kaede said she would watch over him and that his anger would fade in time.

It was Inuyasha's instincts that screamed that there was something wrong with the youth. But he was happy and he was about to get everything he ever wanted: a woman who loved him and didn't care that he was a hanyou, a place where he belonged and someone to protect. But that sense of peace he had rarely felt seemed to be overcome by dark whispers.

He should have listened to the murmurs, but he was too lost in his own joy to notice the creeping darkness.

It was the day before their joining ceremony. He was putting the finishing touches on his new home, admiring his handiwork when the miko arrived.

Kagome stood there before the door. She seemed pensive in her red hakama pants and white top. The wind was playing with her hair, her inky-black tresses waving like tentacles.

She had paused in front of him, a sardonic grin on her face.

"Kagome?" he had asked as he turned to face her. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. Her scent was correct, but his gut was telling him something else.

She put her lithe arms around his neck, an odd smile gracing her lips. She was about to speak when another voice called out from the nearby forest.

"Inuyasha! I'm sorry to come back so quickly, I thought…" Another Kagome had rounded the corner and was caught off guard by the strange sight of seeing herself embrace Inuyasha.

He tried to rid himself of the imposter that had her hands around his neck. The last thing he remembered were those very arms morphing into sharpened blades and slicing into his neck, Kagome's screams echoing in his mind.

~~~oo0oo~~~

"Shit!" Inuyasha lunged forward in his futon, grasping his own neck. His own heart was hammering and he felt like he could barely suck in enough air to breathe.

He glanced around to see his apartment. His flat screen TV and Sony Playstation were in the corner. Morning light was streaming into his room from his balcony.

"Just a fucking dream," he muttered to himself. He didn't remember all of it, but parts of it had seemed so real. When that girl's arms had wrapped around his throat, all he could see was Kagome's face.

"Inuyasha? Are you OK?" Kagome had somehow heard his cries and was standing in the doorway to the family room.

His reaction was instantaneous. His face turned ashen and he instinctively moved away from her.

Her timid footsteps tried to follow him into the room, but he only pushed himself back. "I'm fine. Fucking stay away from me right now!" he bellowed.

The miko only swallowed in confusion. She actually looked hurt by his rejection, but right now that did not faze him. He could only see Kagome's eyes laughing at him while she sliced his head off. The miko moved away and drifted back down the hallway.

"It was only a fucking dream," he kept on repeating to himself. "Only a dream…" He rubbed his neck again. Everything was in one piece. His head had never been sliced off. There was no maniacal miko trying to chop off his head. He was being paranoid.

It took a few minutes for him to get his breathing back under control. Then he headed to the shower. He needed to let his head clear.

After undressing he let his body fall under the cascading warm water. He just stood there for a few minutes, trying to grasp the concept of 'now.' Whatever he had dreamed was some delusion of an ancient feudal era. It must have been all of Kagome's mad talks about being from 500 years in the past and that recent attack that had almost killed him that had given him the nightmare.

He nodded to himself as he started to lather himself in suds. The familiar motions and the modern bathroom that surrounded him gave him a calming balance that he needed. Soon he found himself clean, refocused and ready to start his day.

He exited the shower with only a white towel wrapped around his waist. He forgot that the bathroom was next to the kitchen.

Kagome apparently had been trying to make breakfast for them. She had managed to lay out two small plates on his small dining room table. She had a teapot in her hand and was fiddling around with the nobs on the stove.

"How does one start a fire…?" she seemed to be murmuring to herself.

Inuyasha moved up behind her and flipped the correct nob. The stove clicked and then flames erupted from one of the burners. This shocked Kagome enough to send her spiraling back into Inuyasha, where he caught her in his arms. Unfortunately, holding her also meant that he was no longer holding his towel, which was hanging precariously on his hips. Only Kagome's body, pressed against his stomach, was keeping the towel from falling to the floor.

She looked up at his face with a look of disbelief. Then the tips of her lips curved to smile before she noticed a naked chest against her back. Her eyes were drawn from his face, to his neck and wide clavicle bones before her eyes started to trail down his lean and muscular chest. She had just noticed a treasure trail of silver hair barely hidden under his towel before her shocked face turned bright red.

"Thank you, I…" she stuttered as she turned back around to look at the stovetop and anything but him.

With her back turned, he carefully readjusted the towel and knotted it a little tighter. He should have been upset at what he had done, but he could only smirk in amusement. "The black nobs turn on the fire," he explained as he walked away backwards, clutching his towel in his hands.

She nodded demurely and soon had a teapot on the stove.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha dressed quickly and was more than happy to be eating something other than ramen for breakfast. It wasn't a large breakfast and consisted mainly of chopped fish and vegetables with rice cakes. There were also two steaming teacups on the table.

He sat down gratefully and even murmured a word of thanks. "Ittadakimasu," he said while holding his hands together in prayer.

He broke his wooden chopsticks in half and dug into his meal.

While Inuyasha shoved food into his mouth, devouring it like a wolf. Kagome only ate slowly and methodically, chewing slowly and sipping thoughtfully.

His dream was almost completely forgotten as he rubbed his full belly and put his dirty dishes into the sink. He would find time to wash them later.

It was his vibrating cell phone that let him know a text had just arrived. He had almost forgotten about the errand he was supposed to run today. Hojo was making sure that he wouldn't neglect his promise from yesterday.

"Hojo wants us over at the Sunset shrine," remarked Inuyasha as he looked down at his smartphone.

"How do you know this?" asked Kagome. "Did he stop on by while I was asleep?"

"No." Inuyasha waved his glowing smartphone in the air and pointed to a recent text message. "He just texted us."

"Texted?" inquired Kagome as she peered at the weird rectangular glowing device that had words printed on it. She even started to mouth the message that she saw. "His handwriting is curious."

Inuyasha shook his head. Sometimes she really did act like she was from 500 years ago. But maybe she just knocked her head on something that made her forget. Even people from third world countries had cell phones.

He wandered over to the genken and sat down preparing to put on his shoes.

"Come on Kagome, it's time to meet your prospective employers."

The miko was wearing the new robes that Hojo had given her, even her geta sandals that she slid on over her long white tabi socks were gifts from the teenager. Somehow Inuyasha's mood automatically shifted into the negative when he thought about it. He really didn't like the idea of anyone else providing for Kagome and he had no idea why he was feeling this way. He was being completely illogical and he knew it.

With Inuyasha's concealment spell firmly in place, they made their way outside of his apartment. However, somehow walking with her and putting his hand on the small of her back made him feel better. After making it onto the Tokyo Metro and walking a few blocks, they had finally made their way to the Sunset Shrine.

At the beginning of the shrine was a steep staircase with a large red, torii gate standing sentinel above it. They both paused at the top to purify themselves at the dragon festooned fountain at the entrance, sipping from the water with a wooden cup and pouring water over their hands. For some reason whispers of demons being impure raced through Inuyasha's mind like a distant memory and he couldn't place where it was from.

As they made their way into the shrine, Inuyasha noticed an older man with grey hair and shrunken frame who was obviously the resident kannushi. He was wearing grey hakama pants and a white yukata. A small young boy was running around the older man and the immense tree that stood in the middle of the clearing.

When the boy spied Kagome coming up the walkway he ran toward the girl. "Big sister! You're here!" The small boy who could have only been four or five years of age wrapped himself around Kagome's knees.

She only smiled and did her best to hug him back, awkwardly trying to grasp someone attached to her legs.

"Little one, I am not your sister," she replied. "All mikos wear the same garments."

The young boy only looked up at Kagome with wide grey-blue eyes. He shook his head vehemently and hugged her knees even tighter. "Don't go again, sister. Don't go…"

Inuyasha was startled. Kagome's eye color was extremely unique in Japan and yet this young boy who had claimed her as a sibling had the same attributes.

"Souta," exclaimed a middle-aged woman. She walked up to the new couple that had appeared and seemed to be on the verge of censoring the young boy. Inuyasha's superior sight also noticed that the woman had the same eyes, the color of the sea during a storm.

Kagome was too enraptured by the young boy to notice anything else around her. She knelt and was now face to face with the child, trying to convince him that she wasn't his sister.

Something twisted in his gut when he saw the sight. It was actually beautiful to see Kagome interact so lovingly with a child, but it brought out some forgotten memory from a dream. Some memory where Kagome had a young boy with her, a young boy that made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Mother!" the boy cried joyously. "Look who I found! Sister! See! I told you she's not dead!"

The older woman glanced from her son to the miko kneeling next to him. Her face went instantly white as she uttered one name, "Kikyo." Then the lady's eyes rolled upward as she crumpled to the ground.

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter: _**_Moving On…should be posted in a month. Sorry to change from weekly to monthly postings. The first four chapters that you have just been reading actually took four months to write. I just delayed posting them until I had four chapters under my belt. Chapter 5 is actually 80% done._

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: In the anime, Kagome has brown eyes, yet in the manga she has either sky blue or grey eyes, depending on what watercolor Rumiko Takahashi was using at the time. I decided to keep with the manga coloring. In order for Kagome to have a different eye color and wavy hair instead of straight hair, I decided to push the idea of Kagome being a mix of foreign and Japanese blood (the Portuguese landed on Japan in 1543 and it is possible that Kagome could be of Japanese and Portuguese heritage if she had blue-grey eyes and wavy hair)._

_#2: The memory where Inuyasha seeing Kagome nude for the first time was actually mentioned in chapter two where Inuyasha rejects the idea that he had ever seen her nude, though for some reason he had a pretty good mental picture of what she would have looked like. ;-)_

_#3: 'Ittadakimasu' (pronounced "ee-ta-da-ki-mas") means 'I gratefully receive' and is said before eating a meal in Japan._

#4: To answer a few questions: Yes, Hojo is both a hanyou and a Kannushi. No, Inuyasha doesn't believe that Kagome is truly from the past…yet… And I am astounded about how many of you like the 'past' Inuyasha the best, but please keep in mind he's actually modern Inuyasha's subconscious. It's too bad that our modern Inuyasha doesn't consciously know this…Oh and now you have your answer to the frequently asked, 'Where's Kikyo?' question. ;-)


	5. Chapter 5: Moving On

**Chapter Five: Moving On**

**_Warning:_**_ Some swearing and violence.  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: SplendentGoddess and Kmoaton_  
_~~~oo0oo~~~  
Additional thanks to Eggry, who was absolutely awesome in helping me to brainstorm the fight scene in this chapter!  
_~~~oo0oo~~~  
'Thinking'  
"Speaking"  
~~~oo0oo~~~

Silence permeated the small living room. The miko, Kagome, sat mermaid style on the floor, while the young boy, named Souta, was still wrapped around her leg and was refusing to let go.

The middle-aged woman, who they found out was Mrs. Higurashi, regarded the new guest as if she were a ghost.

Hojo had finally joined the group, resplendent in his kannushi robes of purple and white silks. He seemed both at home and completely oblivious to the tension developing within the room.

Inuyasha only settled back, sitting Indian-style, his arms crossed over his chest. A small tick was developing at his brow.

It was the grandfather with greying hair and a large port belly who finally spoke.

"So young lady…," he began.

"Kagome," interrupted the miko. "My name is Kagome."

"Yes, err…Kagome," repeated the elderly man. "Hojo had told us that he knew of a trained miko who was looking for work. Though we certainly need a new set of hands, especially since the spring festivals are about to begin, we are not quite ready to hire a new miko. You see…"

Mrs. Higurashi spoke this time. "My daughter, our resident miko, died three days ago. I can't possibly hire a new miko right now…."

This time the little boy broke into the discussion. "Mom, you have to hire her. Don't let her go! Please!" The boy grabbed onto Kagome even tighter and seemed to be refusing to let her go.

Kagome offered Souta a sad smile and took his white knuckles into her hands. She looked at him directly, stormy grey eyes meeting each other. "Little one, I am not your sister, no matter how much I may look like her."

The boy then started to cry. "No, please! Don't go. Don't go again!" He held onto the miko's mid-section and refused to let go.

Hojo only smiled winsomely at the pair. "If I may suggest, Higurashi-san. Perhaps it might not be a bad thing to have Kagome-san stay. She needs a place to work and has no home to speak of…"

Inuyasha tried to cut in, affronted that someone would think he would kick Kagome onto the streets and not take care of her. "She can stay…"

Hojo raised his hand, motioning to Ash to be silent.

Petulantly, Inuyasha smacked his lips together into a thin line, grousing as he stared at the group.

The kannushi continued. "As I was saying. Kagome has no job, no home or family. She needs work and a place to stay. And I think young master Souta needs a sisterly figure right now."

Mrs. Higurashi looked at Hojo in astonishment and seemed to be shaking her head. But Hojo raised his hand once more in a placating gesture-seeming to ask everyone for a little more time and patience.

"I think Kagome's presence will help young Souta get over the death of his beloved sister. And wouldn't that be what Kikyo would have wanted…someone to be there for him? I also happen to know that Kagome is very good with children. Look at how well she is working with him now. She is also a well-trained miko and we currently do not have enough spare hands to handle the crowds that will be coming in spring. May I suggest a trial period for her? Perhaps a month to see if this is working out for everyone involved. And if it does not, would Kagome agree to leave without causing any disruptions to this family's already fragile peace?"

"I would not dream of causing any trouble," added Kagome. "But do you think it is wise…?"

The little boy only looked up to Kagome with wide, innocent eyes. "Would you please stay? Please? Don't go…" he asked.

Kagome only looked from the boy's eyes to the mothers, her face a question.

Mrs. Higurashi took a calming breath before addressing everyone in the room. "Souta hasn't said a word since his sister died three days ago. Now here he is talking again…" She turned her sad eyes toward Kagome. "Thank you for bringing my son out of his internal darkness."

Hojo's smile widened at the news. Kagome started to absentmindedly stroke the young boy's hair.

The mother continued. "I will agree to a trial period. But I have one firm guideline…"

Kagome only nodded. "Yes, Higurashi-san. What do you wish?"

The older woman sat back, some of her tenseness seemed to evaporate. She took another deep breath. "You are to always be truthful with Souta. You look like his sister, but he needs to know that you are not her."

"Yes, Higurashi-san."

The mother smiled. "You may call me Kun-loon." Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Now we need to figure out where you may stay…"

Souta interrupted. "I know where you can stay! Come with me!" The young boy quickly got up and pulled on Kagome's hand.

With a laugh, Kagome joined him as the young boy led her upstairs. "You can stay in sister's room…"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed in resignation as she watched the young boy lead the new miko upstairs.

Everyone's eyes followed the pair walking up the small staircase; it was only Inuyasha who felt the immediate need to follow the girl who seemed so lost.

As Inuyasha rounded the corner and saw what seemed to be a teenaged girl's room festooned with pinks and yellows. Souta was already within the room, pulling Kagome around the room by her hand.

"This is her laptop," he said while pointing to a small, white rectangular plastic object on a desk. "Here's her closet…," he added while pulling open a fairly large closet with shelving. "And here's a picture of my sister and me…see you look the same…" The boy grabbed a picture frame and almost shoved the object into Kagome's hands. He looked up at Kagome with a look of smug satisfaction; he wasn't prepared for the way her face turned ashen white as she looked at the picture.

Inuyasha couldn't see the actual picture, but he could see her hand tracing the glass frame, a look of sad bewilderment suffusing her features.

The little boy was not able to pick up on her mood, considering how buoyant he was becoming. "Oh and here is the bed," the little boy ran to leap onto the pink covered bed, before he jumped up and down, a large smile blossoming on his face. Once he was done he hopped off the bed and pulled at Kagome's hand again. But the girl wasn't looking at him and only at the picture frame. "Could you…could you read to me? I'll go get my book!"

The little boy didn't wait to get an answer; he was too excited by his new guest. He quickly ran out of the room and bounded down the hallway.

Inuyasha took this as an opportunity to step into the room and to see the photo that had Kagome so tense and pensive.

The photo was bizarre; he grabbed it from her hands without asking and stared at the picture within the frame. If he didn't know any better, he would have imagined it was a photo of Kagome. The girl looked just like her. A girl stood in the photo with miko's robes, her arms around Souta. Both siblings had the same stormy grey eyes and raven black hair.

He shook his head. "It's uncanny."

For the first time since he arrived in her new quarters, she made eye contact with him. Her mercurial blue eyes were on the verge of tears. "She…she died three days ago…"

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's t-shirt, her eyes looking up at his confused violet eyes. "The same day you woke me up. Did we…did I…kill this girl when I awoke?"

"What?" A startled look overcame him. "What the fuck, Kagome? There's no way you killed this girl. So what, she looks like you. It happens." Suddenly a distant memory of looking at his own doppelganger popped into his mind. He was his human self, looking at his hanyou self dressed in red robes. He shook his head to get rid of the random thought before he continued. "You were sleeping. You woke up. How in the fuck could you have killed her, Kagome?" scoffed Inuyasha.

He then put the photo frame back on the desk. "It's just a coincidence."

However, despite his reassurances, the miko seemed unconvinced. She strolled over to the bed and pressed down on the mattress. She jumped back a little when she saw it spring back at her. Then she removed her slippers and attempted to stand on the bed.

"What are you doing?" questioned Inuyasha as the miko tried to balance herself on the bed.

The miko looked down at him and then at her feet, a look of puzzlement on her face. "I was just seeing how one used…what is this thing called again, Inuyasha?"

The violet-eyed teen only looked at Kagome with widened eyes. "You can't tell me that you've never seen a western bed before?" he questioned as the girl took some small, timid bounces.

The miko turned to look at the pink bed under her feet. "Is that what it is called? This is actually rather fun," she added before attempting to bounce again. Then a wide grin found its way across her face as she continued to jump up and down.

"Shit!" Inuyasha walked stiffly over to the bed and then pulled her down roughly against himself. "You're not supposed to jump on it. It'll destroy the mattress. Where the hell are you from anyway?"

He didn't notice until that moment that Kagome was flush with his body, her soft, curvaceous frame pressed against his harder, angular body. Inuyasha took in a sudden breath and his eyes widened at their closeness. He found that he enjoyed having her right next to him. Instinctively he angled his head to get a better sniff of her scent near the pulse point of her neck when she gently pushed him away.

He noted that she was blushing and her eyes were confused as she looked up at him. Misery overcame her features again.

"I…I think that I'm going to need some time away from you, Inuyasha," said Kagome as she stared at the floor.

"What? Why the fuck do you need to…?" Inuyasha's words died suddenly as she looked at him with dejection. He remembered her words, 'He looked like you, he talked like you, he had your name... But he died.'

Her lips quivered and she turned around, hugging herself as she gazed out the bedroom window. "I need to mourn," she whispered. "For me, he died three days ago…" She motioned helplessly at the photo frame that was next to her bed. "…just like Kikyo." She then turned to look at him and he noticed how quickly her eyes had become rimmed in red, tears threatening to spill. "I feel so raw and every time I see you…I see him and for a brief second I think he's still alive. I can't get over him when you are around."

"Fuck! Kagome," Inuyasha ran his hand through his hair, though his first inclination was to hold the sad miko in his arms. There was a tremor running through him that vibrated in his chest. It made him feel empty and adrift.

"I got it!" screamed Souta as he bounded back into the room. He held a large picture book in his hands and a winsome smile on his face.

Kagome drew in a sharp breath and wiped her face with her sleeves before the boy might question her tears. Fortunately, the young boy was too concerned with his book to truly notice what was around him.

Without a second thought he plopped himself onto the pink bed and opened up the hardcover. His excited eyes finally caught Kagome's. "Please read to me. It's my favorite story," the young boy asked with pleading eyes. He paused before adding, "Sister used to read to me…"

The miko smiled, the very act erasing the sadness that had just been on her face. "Of course, little one."

A twitch developed at Inuyasha's eyebrow as he watched the miko sit next to the small boy, with a tender smile on her face. She looked at the picture book with puzzlement. Kagome seemed to be on the verge of ignoring Inuyasha before she glanced up at him with a worried look on her face.

"Ash…?" she murmured tentatively. "Could you help me…?"

He didn't want to seem eager, so he huffed and then sank next to her on the bed with a childish pout. She pointed to some words on the page that were written in the Hiragana alphabet.

Kagome paused and then continued. "This looks like 'women's hand script.' But it isn't quite the same. Could you read as I point?"

Souta looked between the two teenagers with a disgruntled look on his face. Inuyasha gritted his teeth together, but decided that he would rather have her asking him for help than pushing him away. Then with her hand guiding, he started to read the story of 'Urashima Taro' to Souta. Kagome quickly caught on and started to recognize some of the Hiragana characters. By the time he was almost done with the story, she had already started to finish his sentences for him.

A look of wonderment and gratitude beamed across Kagome's face when the story was done. Inuyasha paused to look at the girl in confusion. The pit of his stomach seemed to have settled down, but then a bizarre fluttering was percolating inside of him. Suddenly, he couldn't even speak.

"Thank you for helping me to read, Ash," said the girl sincerely as she looked up at him. Inuyasha was suddenly lost in eyes of mercury. He could only stare at the girl in bewilderment and confusion.

It was Souta who managed to break his staring contest with the miko. "Can I show you around the shrine?" he asked plaintively.

Inuyasha only swallowed as Kagome's smile faltered. It was almost as if she had just awakened from a trance. She shook her head and attempted to stand up. Then she bowed formally to Inuyasha.

The hanyou tried to not get angry. He wanted her to acknowledge him as something more than an acquaintance. He wasn't too sure about what he wanted, but he didn't want her bowing to him and being formal. It was actually starting to piss him off.

"That is a great idea, Souta!" said another voice from Kagome's door. It was Hojo smiling serenely.

Inuyasha was startled to realize that he never even noticed the other hanyou arriving at her room. No one ever snuck up on him. Was he so beguiled by a mere miko that he couldn't track who was around him?

The other hanyou sauntered in, his silken robes swishing as he walked. "I can take over from here, Ash," said the man as he looked only at Kagome. He smiled and gestured to the girl to follow him outside of the room. The miko only blinked. "I can show her the grounds. She is in good hands here."

Anger bubbled inside of Inuyasha again. He had to remind himself that his old friend from childhood was standing before him, because he had a sudden urge to throttle the boy.

The other teenaged boy only paused and seemed to be contemplating his words. "I need to train Kagome on her shrine duties. Souta, would you please help us?" asked Hojo as he held out a hand to the boy.

The young boy seemed eager to please. He nodded and held Hojo's hand, before turning around and offering his other arm to Kagome.

The young miko paused, looking up at Inuyasha. She seemed about to say something. Her mouth open and closed before she hastily added, "I will see you some other time, Ash."

Inuyasha crossed his arms in front of him and for the first time he missed the red robes he had been wearing. He liked tucking his arms into his sleeves, something he could not do with a t-shirt. He tried not to growl.

Gentle, stormy grey eyes looked up at his beseechingly. "I need to find my own place in this crazy world of yours, Ash."

He didn't want to respond to her. He felt like a rift was suddenly forming between them, as if she was being ripped from him. Deep inside he found an intense desire to please her; it was the only thing that kept him from hauling her ass away from the shrine and back to his apartment. He swallowed and then spoke. "I'll bring your clothes on by tonight and see how you are doing."

Kagome's eyes wavered as she looked up at him. For a brief second she seemed undecided before a shy smile graced her face. "Until tonight," she replied.

A jittery buzz, like a caffeine high, overtook him with her smile. Then it fell down just as quickly into a somber low as the miko joined hands again with Souta. The boy was walking between a Kannushi and a miko, his hands linking the party together, like a family.

A strange feeling overtook Inuyasha, some vague memory of a miko walking hand and hand with a young kannushi. The feeling made him feel nauseated, but he couldn't understand where the memory had come from.

He was still staring at her door when the trio had finally left the house.

~~~oo0oo~~~

After a long day at Tokyo University, Inuyasha finally made it back to his apartment. Once he was past his front door, he almost wondered how he had gotten there. It was as if he had sleepwalked his way through the day. He really couldn't recall the lectures he had attended or even if he had said anything to anyone on campus.

He ran his hand down his face. Since the moment he had left Kagome, all he had been thinking about was her. There was something unsettling about not having the miko with him, as if she was somehow in danger without him around. He couldn't explain the feeling, but it was there and had him constantly worrying. Vague scenarios of her being hurt or attacked by unknown demons meandered through his mind, making him on edge.

He threw his backpack down and then made his way to his bedroom. His bed was neatly made and Kagome's scent lingered in the room. He found himself smiling almost against his will. Then shaking his head he noticed that she had laid out his 'robe of the fire rat' on his futon.

He bent down, touching the rough spun fabric. He remembered missing the feel of the billowing sleeves to tuck in his arms earlier in the day. For some bizarre reason he was starting to dislike wearing jeans and t-shirts. He quickly changed into the clothing that Kagome had given him.

Even though the clothing had not been his, it fit like it was custom made. Then he reached for his sword, pushing it into the belt loop at his side.

He patted his sword that was sheathed at his side reassuringly. For only gaining the peculiar item three days ago, he somehow already felt like it was a part of his soul—something he should not let go of.

'Like Kagome…' The thought flittered through his mind, unbidden.

He shook his head and then started to put all of Kagome's belongings into a duffle bag. The last thing he wanted to do was to go on another shopping spree, though in the back of his mind he realized that it wouldn't bother him as long as he could keep an eye on her.

Soon all of her belongings, including some undergarments that he blushed over handling, were shoved into a bag. The item was then put outside of his front door, waiting for him to take it to the shrine that Kagome worked at after he got a small bite to eat.

He threw open his small fridge, grabbing a few sushi rolls which he slammed into his mouth. He was wandering around his kitchen, attempting to make his favorite dish, instant ramen, when he heard the front doorbell ring.

His invisible ears twitched on his head. He put his styrofoam soup bowl down, intending to get to it later.

There wasn't anyone that he was expecting, but then Miroku had a habit of stopping on by without calling.

Upon opening the door he was immediately surprised to see Kagome standing there. At first he beamed a welcome surprise at her unexpected visit. But then a startled memory overtook him. The nightmare he had from last night, the one where Kagome had wrapped her hands around his neck, her hands morphing into sharpened blades that cut into his throat.

His smile quickly faded as he compared the two. Something had been off about the Kagome who had killed him in his dream. He stared at the miko in front of him who was smiling with a sardonic grin.

His eyes narrowed and he sniffed. Her scent was correct, but something deep inside of him was unsettled.

She stood passively in front of him, her inky black hair wavering in front of him like tentacles. Her eyes were somehow too black, her demeanor too rigid.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" asked the miko as she moved forward.

Actually, Inuyasha did not want to let her in, but he also wanted to move away from her. As she stepped forward, he stepped back. She smiled, moving into his apartment languidly. The door closed behind her, seemingly by its own volition.

Every muscle in Inuyasha's body was pulled taut, his movements jerky, as he stepped backward, matching the girl's pace. He didn't want her in his apartment and now he was feeling like he was being backed into a corner. Soon they were in his small kitchen and he really didn't have anywhere else to move.

The miko looked at him with a haughty smile. She slowly stepped toward him again. Her hands reached up to his neck, the move was too eerily familiar. He immediately grasped her hands in his own, holding them tight and away from his body.

Kagome lifted an eyebrow; she seemed a little confused by his behavior. "You've kissed me before, Inuyasha," she said with measured words. A quick, unsure smile followed. "Why are you acting coy now?"

She pressed her body forward, breasts against his hands and Inuyasha found that he had no desire to kiss or even touch her. He didn't know why, but instinct was screaming at him that this was not his Kagome. He grabbed her hands that were tightly in his grip and shoved her away. She fell backward, hitting a small kitchen table, items rattling and clattering to the ground.

She turned to look up at him and was no longer attempting to smile. "We could have done this the easy way..." When she turned to look up at him, her face started to change. Her long black hair became longer, slicker. Her face became androgynous before becoming the face of a snarling man with blackened eyes and a vengeful sneer.

Then the body exploded, dark grey tentacles pushing out from his torso, ripping the miko's robes off his body. In his place was a quivering mass with a head of a man and the arms of an arachnid. A long blackened pincher shot out to slice Inuyasha's head.

The hanyou quickly dropped to he floor, barely avoiding the sharp claws and then kicked his refrigerator so hard that it flew against the darkened mass. He noticed with satisfaction as the demon folded within itself like a marshmallow that had been pushed in as the metal object hit it.

However, it took only a few seconds for the darkened mass to reform itself and laugh at the startled hanyou.

"You think that would stop me?" a dark, malevolent voice screamed as a mass of tentacles flew at Inuyasha.

The half demon remembered what had happened the last time he had met an opponent just like this one. Even though he had managed to slice off a tentacle, the mass still managed to work independently of the main body and speared him in the gut. It nearly killed him because it was the night of a new moon. At least that weakness wasn't rearing its ugly head tonight.

The hanyou twisted to avoid the oncoming salvo and without a thought he grabbed his sword, unsheathed it in one fluid motion and pointed it at the monster attacking him. The dull, metal sword shone dimly in the light of his apartment.

For a moment there was only stillness as the dark creature seemed to hold its breath. Then a slow, mocking grin found itself on his features. "You don't know how to use the Tessaiga, do you Inuyasha?" The demon only chuckled lowly.

"How in the fuck do you know the name of my…?" Inuyasha yelled before realizing that this 'thing' knew more about what was going on than he did. "Fuck!"

'Now what am I supposed to say to make this thing work?'

Inuyasha leveled the Tessaiga at the demon and waved at it with a forward slashing down motion. "Wind Scar!"

For a brief second the misshapen demon in front of him flinched, before pulling back and laughing. His laugh was bitter and mocking. "You'll never master that blade and you're a poor substitute for the original owner of that sword. Which makes this easier for me…!"

With those words, a slew of tentacles erupted toward Inuyasha again, but he was in a tiny space. He dodged away from the kitchen sink, as pain erupted from his side, and wood and metal exploded at the onslaught next to him.

He pressed his hand against the dark red stain blossoming from his rib and tried to discard the pain. His sensitive nose and ears caught the steady hiss of gas leaking from the pipe near his sink. The attack had broken a gas line.

For the briefest of nanoseconds he only heard the slow whistle of the gas escaping and the eager laugh of a demon who was almost upon him. However, something within him was calling to him. It asked him to give in to instincts, to give in to the part of himself that had been deeply hidden and tucked away under recessive memories.

Calmness overrode his panic, his heartbeat slowed and he found his center.

Without a second thought, he turned on the lighter on his stove and leapt into his living room. Instinctively he tucked himself into a ball, drawing his sword in next to his body.

There was a brief delay before a large ball of fire exploded behind him in a huge explosion of sound. He had expected to be singed, but for some reason the erupting fire harmlessly bounced off his clothing. Something deep inside of him seemed to laugh at the idea of his fire rat robes burning, but he really didn't know where the thought came from.

The creature that was at the epicenter of the gas explosion did not fare as well. Tentacles that had attempted to spear him were now charred husks. The main body of the creature was blackened with soot, its many arms turned into cinders.

The man's face turned to Inuyasha. For a brief second the dog demon thought about gloating, but the icy sneer that met him stopped those thoughts from forming.

The blackened appendages simply fell on the floor, quivering. Then the misshapen demon seemed to take a deep breath; once the thing breathed out it expanded into a larger mass that filled his kitchen and part of his living room with wavering tentacles hovering in the air like a sea anemone.

'Shit, the thing is like a hydra. Cut off an arm and many grow back in its place!'

Reflex drove him to use his Tessaiga to ward off the attacks, but the dull blade was almost ineffectual. The pot-marked katana only seemed to bounce off the rubber-like appendages. He would occasionally draw oily, black blood, but he was only causing surface wounds.

"Shit!" he sheathed his sword back at his side and listened to the call deep within him. His own claws sunk deep within his side wound, pulling blood in their wake, his claws dripping with his own life fluid.

"Blades of Blood!" he cried out as knives of blood sprang out from his hand, spearing the enemy in the gut and slicing off tentacles.

Inuyasha smirked for a moment, but then pain erupted from his stomach and sides. The appendages that had been cut off had attacked him from behind. He was surrounded.

Now the attacks came from all sides. As he attempted to stop one onslaught, another would attack from another direction and there was only one of him. He felt like he was drowning in a blackened mass of protrusions that kept on cutting and goring into him. He felt himself grow weary, life blood pouring out of him quicker than his demon blood could cure him, poison coursing through his veins with each attack, weakening him from within.

He almost wanted to give up, the pain was overwhelming and there was nothing left to attack with. The robe had given him some measure of protection against the fire, but the sword was a useless toy.

Glee filled the air and the monster seemed to be gloating in triumph. "You cannot last much longer, Inuyasha. And once I have you out of my way, Kagome will be next!"

All of the sudden, at the mention of her name, something deep inside of him woke up and panicked. No one should ever harm her, it seemed to say, no one could touch her, she was his to protect.

In his pain, he felt rather than heard the gentle thrum of a heartbeat. He should have been surprised that it was coming from the inanimate sword at his side, but in his diminished state such anomalies seemed entirely appropriate.

Inuyasha unsheathed the sword as he labored for breath, and miraculously the sword transformed into a glowing, large crescent moon. It pulsed and it seemed to have a life of its own. It wanted blood; it wanted the creature dead for trying to hurt what was under his protection.

He had a hard time remembering the next few seconds, but he did recall that this time when he swung the transformed sword downward and slashed across the demon attacking, that his words rung true and echoed like a gong. "Wind Scar!" he screamed one more time. This time a reverberation blasted from his sword, exploding across what was left of his apartment and charring the body in front of him into cinders.

When he looked up he saw the clear night sky, for there was no longer a roof over his head. He was dimly thankful that he was on the top story of the building, otherwise whoever was above him would have been killed. His senses came rushing back to him. He heard a dog howl, water pipes bursting and flowing, screams from below and the sounds of sirens in the distance.

He supposed that he should have stayed where he was, but an overriding panic stabbed at his heart. The thing was after Kagome next. She wasn't safe!

With no thought to his own body or even to the rules his parents had instilled in him to keep his demonic heritage hidden, he took to the Tokyo skyline. Though his necklace hid his demonic features, it did not sequester his abilities. He leapt from one building to the next in the deep dark of the night, his heart a staccato beat in his veins, threatening to explode.

It seemed forever and a day before he made it to the shrine that Kagome was staying at. He saw the light on in her room on the second floor. He should have knocked at the front door, but he was too panicked to wait for formalities.

He slammed her bedroom window open and burst inside to see the girl pacing within her room.

His sudden entrance and appearance caused her to almost stumble in her maddened march. She drew a sharp breath.

All he could do was smile. She was safe. The thing hadn't attacked her; she was well. It was that last thought that permeated his brain before he finally let the darkness swallow him whole and he collapsed on her bedroom floor.

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter:_**_ Relations. It should be posted within a month._

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: Absolute Anime lists Mrs. Higurashi's name as 'Kun-loon.'_

_#2: In Japan they do not usually have central heating. A home or an apartment usually has one or two portable gas or propane heaters. My brother's apartment had a portable gas heater with a tube that was plugged in under his kitchen sink and then you had to move the heater to whatever room needed heating, a long tube following behind it wherever it went. It seemed like a recipe for disaster to me._

_#3: Answers to your questions: Is Kikyo dead? Yes, Kikyo will stay dead. RIP… I won't have her rise from the dead or anything. Is Kikyo a reincarnation of Kagome? Oh now that would be telling. ;-) You'll only find out that answer at the end of this tale. As far as this 'past/modern' Inuyasha preference…please remember that the 'past' Inuyasha is 'modern' Inuyasha's subconscious. Where is the Shikon jewel? Well, Kagome is still wearing it, but it's not quite the same. Re-read chapter one where Kagome wakes up and looks at the jewel. How did Kagome sleep for so long? You'll find out later, but I bet that you can figure it out with the clues you have been given. It's not a big secret._

_#4: I hope that you are starting to like modern Inuyasha a little better now. Keep in mind that he was also a jerk in the manga when he first met Kagome, but as we know, he did change._


	6. Chapter 6: Relations, Part I

_**Chapter Six: Relations, Part One**_

**_Warning:_**_ Some swearing.  
_~~~oo0oo~~~**_  
_**_Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: Kmoaton and SplendentGoddess_  
~~~oo0oo~~~  
'Thinking'  
"Speaking"  
~~~oo0oo~~~

The first sensation that he could recall was something gentle petting his erstwhile ears. He might have purred, but he was quite sure that sound was not coming from him. He was a dog demon. There was no way in hell he'd ever be caught purring. Still, it was a deep reverberating vibration that seemed to be emanating from his chest, but he dismissed it. Inuyasha turned his head in the direction of the strokes, doing his best to get closer to the wonderful sensation.

He might have heard a giggle; there could have also been a sigh. Whether the sigh came from him or another person he did not know.

The next sensation that he became dimly aware of was that his head was resting on something soft, something human. He took in a deep sniff. It smelled nice. Whatever it was, it was a gentle, soothing scent that quieted his soul.

An errant smile formed on his lips. He could stay in this in-between state, the place where you were neither asleep nor awake, indefinitely.

Soft rays of the morning sun warmed his body, falling quietly around him.

Still there was something that was irritating him, something that was making his conscious mind come to the forefront. Something was itching him. There was some sort of annoying fabric across his chest and it was pulled tightly. It also smelled of something that disquieted him.

He took another sniff and the scent was cloying. He wrinkled his nose in agitation. There was a lingering scent of old, stale blood. It was coming from the tight fabric across his chest. He couldn't help but to scratch his chest, his clawed fingers catching themselves on a wrapped bandage and his bare skin.

His eyebrows drew together in confusion. Why was his chest bandaged? Why was he smelling blood mixed with a wonderful scent that he had come to associate with…?

His eyes flew open in a panic, "Kagome!"

Looking up he saw the same face that he had just imagined facing him with a look of perplexity. Her hands that had just been stroking his ears stilled. A faint blush shimmered across her cheeks at being caught in the act of touching him, while he had slept in her lap.

Her hands quickly moved away from his face. She quickly bit her lip.

Inuyasha ignored his bandages and the black-red blood that had dried on them. He didn't even seem to notice that his necklace was discarded on the floor, his silvered hair, dog-like ears and golden eyes on full display to the waking world. His chest was bare, save for the dressings. The only thing he was wearing were a pair of red hakama pants.

He didn't care. He was worried about her.

He scrambled next to the miko, taking her hands in his as he peered intently at her face. He didn't notice how her blush intensified into a deep crimson around her cheeks and nose.

He didn't mean for his voice to sound husky, but he had been sleeping and his vocal cords seemed to protest his early morning speech.

"Kagome, are you alright? Did anything…?" He paused as he took in Kagome and her room. There seemed to be nothing amiss other then her yellow curtains that danced in the morning's breeze and the faint trail of blood from her window to where he was now sitting on the floor. He paused again and tried to reformulate his words. "Nothing showed up and tried to hurt you, did it?"

The girl blinked and looked down at their conjoined hands. She tried to say a few words, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she hastily pulled her hands away from his, tucking a piece of raven hair behind her ear. Though she was sitting on the floor next to him, she shuffled back, as if to keep her distance.

She looked away from him briefly as she spoke. "No, Ash. Except for you showing up, bloody…in my room. No one else has been here."

Perplexity suffused his features. "Bloody? Oh…"

Inuyasha looked down and saw that he was wrapped up in something that looked like an ace bandage. It was probably meant for a sprained ankle, but it had done its job.

Something inside of him was annoyed that she had chosen to call him 'Ash,' but he quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn't his real name, but it was the one people were supposed to call him. Calling him 'Inuyasha' or 'Dog Demon' was something that could only be said in private and among only a select few who knew who he really was. But for some reason, he longed for her to call him 'Inuyasha' again.

"You," the miko paused and looked at the window with fluttering yellow curtains and then looked at Inuyasha again. "You were really hurt last night. What happened?"

Inuyasha sat up and scratched his ear. He resisted the urge to have his feet do the scratching instead of his hand. "I…I was attacked in my apartment."

"Your abode that you took me to?"

"Yes, and that thing said that you were next. So after I fought it off, I came over here." Inuyasha's ears swiveled on their own accord, taking in the sounds of the surrounding area. There was nothing other than the typical sounds you would hear at a shrine that was close to a major street in Tokyo. He relaxed infinitesimally and then he took a hard look at Kagome.

"It was…it looked like you, Kagome…"

A shuddered breath caught in the miko's throat. Her eyes seemed to widen in terror. Without a thought she moved back next to him, looking into his eyes. Words scattered in quick succession. "What do you mean it looked like me? How did you know it wasn't me? And it hurt you?" Disbelieving eyes looked at him with both sympathy and terror.

It took a little self-control to keep himself from moving away from her, now that the memory of another vengeful Kagome writhed in his mind. But he took a deep breath, telling himself it was a demon, not Kagome who had attacked him.

He resumed. "It looked like you and it smelled like you. But it didn't act like you. In fact, it was a dream that saved me…" He paused, unsure of how he was going to continue.

The girl just looked at him confused.

"A dream?" she prompted.

He shook his head as he looked at her, wondering what to say. Words just spewed from his mouth. He was never one to censor himself. "Yeah, I had this bizarre dream the first night you stayed at my apartment. I was living in the past and so were you." He chuckled to himself. "It was like we were living in the Feudal Era or something."

"Feudal Era?"

When the girl looked at him in confusion he tried to explain. "You know...the Feudal Era… almost 500 years ago." He tried to laugh at his apparent joke, but the girl's tight lips kept him from doing so. She seemed on edge.

"Anyway, I don't remember all of it, but you were a miko in a small village and I was trying to get a necklace from you. I don't know why, apparently it was something I wanted very badly…"

The girl pulled a necklace out that was tucked into her robes. She was wearing a necklace with a large pearl-like object in the center of some pink beads. "Was this it?" she asked as she looked at him with questioning eyes.

Inuyasha peered at the object and almost reached to grab it, but something inside of him pulled away. He looked at it for a few moments, his head cocking left as he examined it. "Yeah, but in the dream it kept on calling to me… But that doesn't make any sense, now does it?"

Color drained from Kagome's face, but Inuyasha really didn't notice. He was too adrift in his story.

"So I was this half-demon ninja or something. I had all of the right fight moves. And you had two people with you in the village."

She looked at him warily. "Do you remember the names?"

He scratched his head. "I dunno. A young boy I didn't like and an old miko. Anyway, all I remember was seeing this girl who looked like you and she…"

She interrupted. "What did she do Inuyasha?"

He grimaced as he rubbed his neck. "She uh…she tried to hug me. I knew something was off about her, but I didn't know what. Then her arms tightened around my neck, I felt like she was somehow cutting into my throat. But then I woke up." He shrugged. "It was just a dream…" Inuyasha tried to laugh off his discomfort. But the miko in front of him was only looking at him in shock. Her face was ashen white.

"Hey, nothing happened! I'm fine." Inuyasha protested as he looked at the serious girl. She looked like she was on the verge of crying. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes. Then the dam burst and he had a blubbering girl on his hands.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes looked at him imploringly. For a few seconds she seemed to war with herself before she flung herself at his bare chest, sobbing inconsolably.

"You died…you died in front of me. You died, Inuyasha!"

He patted her back before awkwardly putting his arms around her, her wet warm tears running down his chest. He was utterly confused at her behavior. It was, after all, only a dream. Why was she reacting so strongly?

"Hey, sister! I mean Kagome!" A child's voice boomed in the hallway, filled with vigor and happiness. The door to Kagome's room quickly flung open and a small boy was beaming at the door.

However, it took a second for Souta's eyes to widen and his mouth to go slack jawed. Within the room he was looking at a teenaged boy with long silver hair, golden eyes, claws and two dog-like ears on top of his head. This person was obviously not human.

Inuyasha wanted to grab his necklace and to hide himself before the boy drew any attention to them. But Kagome was still in his arms; he was trapped.

"You!" The boy exclaimed. "It's you, the demon from the legend."

Kagome wiped her eyes and managed to move away from Inuyasha. She seemed to be trying to compose herself in front of the young boy. However, Souta wasn't really aware of the miko, he was staring unabashedly at Inuyasha.

The hanyou scoffed. "Me? I'm not from any legend." He moved to put his necklace back on, but was stopped by the young boy who held his arm.

"But you are…" The twitching ears on top of Inuyasha's head quickly distracted the boy. "Hey, could I touch your ears?"

"Souta!" murmured Kagome in astonishment. "That is not how you address a stranger."

"But he's not a stranger. He's with you right? Is he your boyfriend, Kagome?"

Kagome blushed and Inuyasha sat up a little bit straighter. The idea did have some merit in Inuyasha's eyes.

The glow of the welcome idea quickly faded as young hands grabbed onto his ears. They were not nearly as gentle as Kagome's.

"Wow! They're real!" The boy exclaimed. "You are the dog demon of legend!"

"Hey, watch the ears, kid." He should have been irritated at the boy, but being called a legend somehow put him in a mood where he could tolerate some minor annoyances.

It was then that his cell phone started to buzz in his pocket. He had entirely forgotten that he even had it. After blowing up his apartment the last thing on his mind was his cell phone.

His eyes widened as he started to remember the aftermath of his fight the night before. "Shit! My apartment!"

Kagome looked at him quizzically. "Your abode?"

"Yes, it's demolished. Mom has got to be shitting bricks right now."

"Shitting bricks...?" questioned Kagome.

Inuyasha waved his arm as if to silence her as he took the phone call. Kagome only looked at him in abject concern as he started to talk into a very small piece of plastic.

Souta only smiled and started to explain to Kagome what he thought 'shitting bricks' meant.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha was glad that it was his friend on the line and not his mother. If his mother was calling there would be no end to the phone conversation after what had happened last night.

He heard the monk take a deep breath of relief before he started to talk. "Well, at least we know you're alive. What in the hell happened to your apartment last night, Ash? The Taijiya have been working over time trying to explain the ruins of your apartment as a gas explosion."

Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to recount what had happened last night to his friend. Kagome looked askance while the phone conversation was taking place. She seemed a bit concerned that he was holding a one sided conversation with himself.

"Does everyone talk into these small boxes now?" inquired Kagome as she looked at Souta. The young boy only smiled as he proudly went to get his own kid's version of a cell phone and tried to show her how it worked. Kagome was very engrossed in the small piece of plastic that made noises and changed colors by the time Inuyasha was done with his phone call.

The hanyou was getting dressed and had thrown his ripped bandages in the trash as he addressed Kagome. "I have to meet Miroku at what is left of my apartment. Unfortunately, the Taijiya need an eye witness report and then I need to talk to…" Inuyasha winced. "…my Mom."

Kagome only nodded and strapped her quiver and bow to her back. She stood regally and in command of the situation, despite crying just minutes before. "Then I will follow you." The girl turned to address the young boy. She fell to her knees so that she would be eye to eye with him. "Souta, can you tell Higurashi-san that I will be back by the time the shrine opens and that I need to help a friend?"

The young boy only nodded enthusiastically. Kagome ruffled his hair before turning back to Inuyasha. "Please kneel."

Inuyasha eyed her suspiciously. "What for, Wench?"

"So that you can give me a piggy back ride?"

"What the fuck? Can't you just walk?"

She stamped her feet. "Just do it. You can get there quicker than me and you're going to need my expertise. I've seen this demon before I woke up."

Inuyasha complied. But the girl only complained loudly when he took to the streets and the subway, instead of leaping from building to building like he had done last night. She also seemed less than enthusiastic about his quick change from hanyou to human with his necklace. Why she would ever prefer his hanyou form confused him, though deep down inside it did make him feel warm to know that she actually preferred him as he really was, rather than the illusion that so many people saw.

However, despite the oddity of the situation, having Kagome on his back seemed entirely natural to him. It was as if he had been doing this for years. He did catch a few smiles and snickers as he carried the girl through downtown Tokyo. But most people only commented on 'young love' and how cute they looked together. 'As if…,' he thought.

Once he arrived at his building he winced when he looked at the damage. It looked a lot worse during the day than it did during the black of the night. What was once a three-story building, was now only two stories. An entire floor was ripped asunder, like a large ogre had torn the top floor off the building.

Inuyasha could see metal pipes broken, wood splintered, electrical wiring strewn about and lots of black charring. The entire third floor looked like it had caught on fire, leaving a charcoal husk behind.

He sighed and held out his hand to Kagome. She had already dismounted and was now following along behind him dutifully. By the time they reached what remained of the top floor, yellow tape had cordoned off the area and a few police officers were rummaging through the remains.

Inuyasha was glad that Miroku and Sango were there and that the police officer in charge was Sango's father, Detective Toshinori Sureiyā. The man had a high-level job in the Tokyo police department. It helped him to keep track of crimes committed by demons, which were then covered up by Detective Sureiyā and his Taijiya associates.

Inuyasha hated to think what a regular police officer would discover, but the Taijiya were good at what they did and had members in all levels of society. Miroku waved Inuyasha and Kagome through the taped barrier.

Inuyasha paused at the remnants of the front door. The explosion had blasted the wooden door backwards. The once solid door was now pieces of plywood and jagged splinters. It all rested on top of something. He moved a few pieces of wood aside and found the duffel bag he had packed for Kagome last night. It sported some blackened soot, but it managed to stay in one piece.

He threw the object a Kagome. "Here! Your clothes."

"What?" Kagome looked at the bag suspiciously before she managed to rip the zipper open and peered inside. A smile of gratitude rose from her lips.

Inuyasha scratched his ear as he spoke. "I packed that all up for you and put it outside before all of this…" He gestured to the remains of his apartment. "…happened."

The miko only nodded before shouldering the duffel with her quiver and bow.

Detective Sureiyā walked over to where Inuyasha was standing. Miroku and Sango quickly followed.

The tall man stood before him, his middle age apparent from his weathered face. Despite his age, the man had stayed in shape; he had a lean, muscular form. His hair was short and he sported a small black mustache and goatee. He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned back. His brown eyes focused on Inuyasha, a frown on his face.

The man whispered harshly to the boy. "Care to explain this, Inuyasha?" Then his voice raised a few decibels as he continued. "How in the hell did your entire apartment get blown up last night? And…hell, I'm glad that you came through this unscathed. But you need to explain this. The entire building had to be evacuated and then we had to plant some evidence to make it look like a gas explosion. The Taijiya are not pleased."

Inuyasha only groaned before he retold his tale for the third time.

Once the tale was done the older man furrowed his brow. "Shit! Now we're dealing with a shape shifting demon? Those damned things are hard to catch. You never know what form they're going to take."

Inuyasha paused for a second as he let those words sink in. Kagome seemed to nod at the conclusion that the detective had taken, no surprise evident on her features.

Detective Sureiyā beckoned with his hand. "Show me this magical sword of yours."

The Tessaiga was sheathed at his side and he could have easily shown it to the man. Sango's dad was a man that he trusted without question. But the sword was his alone and he really didn't want anyone else touching it.

Inuyasha hesitated as he fingered the sword at his belt. His body warred with his mind.

"Ash!" Commanded Detective Sureiyā as he held out his hand.

Inuyasha glanced at the man and noticed that his brown eyes had hardened. There was little patience left in the man.

Reluctantly he handed over the artifact.

Kagome only seemed amused at the confrontation, while Miroku and Sango seemed as puzzled as the leader of the Taijiya.

The detective turned the old, pot marked blade over in his hands. "I see nothing astounding about this sword, but I am not sensitive to the magical arts." The man paused before he reluctantly handed the sword over to Miroku.

Inuyasha's hands twitched during the exchange. It was hard enough for him to pass his sword to the commander of the Taijiya, but to have his blade passed around and out of his hands unnerved him.

Miroku balanced the thin blade with the frayed hilt between his two open palms. He seemed to be studying the artifact. He hummed to himself as he weighed the sword between his hands.

"Demonic," Miroku answered with complete assuredness.

"Are you sure?" Sango questioned. "This blade looks like nothing…"

Miroku interrupted. "My dear Sango, you know as a demon hunter to give little credence to appearances. This sword is not what it seems. It is packed with power, but all I can ascertain is that it is resting or perhaps hiding." The monk pivoted to Inuyasha and then presented the open sword back to the hanyou.

Inuyasha quickly snatched it from his friend's hands. He kept himself from cursing, just seeing someone else handle his blade made him extremely agitated. The sword was then quickly sheathed.

Detective Sureiyā seemed deep in thought before he spoke to Inuyasha. "I don't want you to make the sword do what you did last night, but I feel that it is time that you train with the Taijiya."

Inuyasha tried to protest. It wasn't that he didn't want to train; it was just that he hated taking orders from anyone and he really didn't want to be part of a larger group or to have to report to a higher authority. "I can do this on my own!"

The older man sighed. "And how many more apartment buildings will you be destroying accidentally, Ash?" The older man then gestured to the miko behind him. "And what if someone you know is the one who gets hurt next time?"

Inuyasha grimaced. He fingered his sword again at the hilt. Then the thought of Kagome ending up like the demon he fought last night suddenly ran across his mind. Seeing her form wither and char in his mind like the demon made his blood freeze in his veins. "Shit!"

He turned his face away from the detective. He knew now that all he wanted to do was to protect the girl he had only meet a few days prior. The call was strong. In fact, it was so strong he was willing to admit he wasn't as powerful as he made himself out to be and that he really needed to be trained. Otherwise, how would he ever protect her? The last thing he ever wanted was for a chick to protect and save him. It was bad enough that she had already saved his life from the first demon attack. There was no way he would ever let that happen again. She was his to protect, not the other way around!

"Fine!" he acquiesced. "What do you want me to do?"

The detective only wore a smile that hinted at laughter. "Report at our headquarters tomorrow morning at 8AM. I think I know just the person to train you."

Ill-ease washed over Inuyasha, but he tried to dismiss the feeling. It was only training. How bad could it be?

An aide interrupted their conversation. "Boss, there's something you need to see."

The group made their way over to what was left of Inuyasha's kitchen. Within a pile of blackened dust and detritus, a man with blue latex gloves was handling something that looked like a burnt wooden doll. He showed it to Detective Sureiyā. "What do you make of this?"

The detective put on some gloves as well before he held the charred remains in his hands. He noticed that wiry, black hair was wrapped around the object. "I've never seen something like this before. But this is obviously hair. Run a DNA analysis of it. Tell me what you find." He was about to hand the evidence back to the other police officer working on the case when Kagome intervened.

"If I may," she added before she motioned to the object. The detective sighed and handed her a pair gloves. She looked at the plastic gloves oddly before she put them on her hands, just as she had seen the detective do.

"Don't contaminate it!" the lead detective ordered as he handed the object gingerly to her.

The miko only peered at the object with growing apprehension as she turned it over in her hands. "I think I have seen something like this before," she stated to the attentive audience.

The detective handed it back to the other officer. "Bag it!" he ordered before he turned to Kagome. "So, Miss Miko...how is this familiar?"

Kagome only looked questioningly at Inuyasha before she continued. "Only a very powerful demon can use these. They are called golems. A demon uses them to create 'duplicates' of themselves that they can control. And if the 'duplicate golem' is destroyed, it does not hurt the creator. The hair on the object is used as a conduit to power it. A part of the owner must be on the golem, otherwise it simply changes back into a wooden doll."

The detective looked at the miko drolly. "And how do you know all of this, Miko?"

Kagome only looked at the man quizzically. "I've been fighting demons all of my life. Golems are rare, but something I have seen on occasion."

The man looked at her oddly. "Sango dear, can you vouch for this girl?"

Sango was about to answer when Inuyasha stepped in. "I can vouch for her. I will put my honor on it!" he vowed.

Miroku only looked amused while the detective seemed uncertain. "Then she needs to visit our headquarters as well. Bring her with you tomorrow, Ash." The detective waved them away as he stepped back

"But!" the young miko intervened. "I have a job to do. In fact, I need to get back now. I work at a shrine." She turned to look at Inuyasha, her eyes pleading. "They've been so kind to me, Ash. I need to give them my best effort."

The older detective watched the duo exchange words with a solemn look on his face. "Miko-san, what is your name?"

The girl turned to look at the detective. "Kagome."

"No family name?" asked the detective.

The miko looked down at her sandals as she replied. "I was adopted, sir. I have no surname."

For the briefest of seconds, Inuyasha felt like he should be putting his hands on her shoulders, in an attempt to show her some support. Even in this day, to be without a family would be akin to calling you an outcast.

The detective's face softened before he continued. "This shape shifter…you say that you have fought something like this before?"

The girl only nodded.

"Then we are also in need of your expertise. I have fought shape shifters before, but I have never heard of these golems. This thing is really powerful and it seems to have…" The older man gestured to Inuyasha. "…your friend in its sights. And from what Inuyasha has told me, it is also after you."

The man paused before looking into her eyes and continuing. "Most of our members have day jobs, like myself. Please come in with Inuyasha during your time off work. I think we are going to need some of your help." The man paused again. "If you don't, it'll only attack one of you again." He looked at Inuyasha before he turned to face Kagome again. "Let us help each other."

The young miko looked questioningly at Inuyasha, who sighed and then nodded in her direction.

Kagome bowed briefly to the detective. "Then I will do what I can to help."

The detective nodded with a curt smile before his cell phone went off. "Kami! Damned phone. Now how in the hell could be calling me…" He brought the phone to his ear. "Moshi, moshi. Sureiyā speaking." Then the man started to bow as he was talking. "Oh yes, Taishō-sama. Of course ma'am. I'll get him on the phone."

Detective Sureiyā held out his cell phone to Inuyasha. "Your Mom, son."

Inuyasha winced. He had turned off his cell phone after Miroku's call. He should have known that his mother would be calling. He was just trying to put off the inevitable while he was with Kagome.

He grimaced as he took the call that he had been avoiding and then he felt even more guilty as his mother spoke in terrified tones. By the time the phone call was done, he had been ordered to wait for a limo that would be picking him up from his former apartment.

Now what was he going to do about Kagome? She didn't seem to understand how the Tokyo Metro worked, had no cell phone and had no Yen. Further, he couldn't leave her without a protector.

"Sango?" he asked. "I can't leave Kagome alone and she needs to get back to work. Can you watch her?"

Inuyasha knew that the Taijiya would certainly have someone watching both of them, now that a demonic threat had been established, but there was no way that he could leave Kagome with just anyone. Only a trusted friend would do.

She nodded in assurance and then bent her arm to a 90-degree angle. She made a fist with her hand and a large, curved blade quickly popped out of the elbow of the leather jacket she was wearing. She smiled in satisfaction at Inuyasha, while Kagome blinked in surprise.

"I'm always armed and ready. Are you ready, Kagome? I think I'm helping out at your shrine today."

The miko only shook her head, a glimmer of a smile tugging at her lips. "Until later, Ash." She bowed formally and Inuyasha again felt an internal ache as she walked away, Sango chattering behind her.

He tried to dismiss the feeling as she left. It was crazy for his emotions to be so scattered. He felt like following Kagome, in fact his own feet seemed to start toward the direction they had just left. Miroku quickly grabbed his friend by the arm and turned him around. "I think you have a limo to catch and perhaps a few items to scavenge from this mess."

The pair managed to find a few items worth saving. Inuyasha was mainly disappointed that his entire PlayStation system and games were demolished. But his laptop actually survived, as well as some clothing items that he managed to throw into a dirty duffel bag.

They bowed formally to Sango's father before making their way back downstairs.

Miroku only had a funny smile on his face as they made their way-past the soot and yellow plastic tape.

"So, Ash." His friend started as he wiggled his brows. "Did anything happen while that hot miko spent the night in your apartment?"

"What? No!" Inuyasha sputtered.

Miroku only shook his head, like a parent about to chastise an errant toddler. "Why, I am surprised at you, Ash. A hot chick like that, in your bed again and you didn't…"

Inuyasha made a fist and shoved it precariously close to the boy's face. "Shut the fuck up, Miroku." For some reason he was steaming mad at the implications. Perhaps, because for the first time in his life, the monk's jokes hit too close to home. For once, he really felt like he wanted more from a girl than a simple kiss. Something was no longer holding him back. But he wasn't a womanizer. He didn't just chase any girl within his sights, like Miroku did before he had met Sango.

He snorted. He had higher standards than that-standards that he felt Kagome more than met.

Inuyasha took in a deep breath and kept his eyes straight ahead, avoiding Miroku's questioning stare. All he could think about now was Kagome and how damned difficult it was now going to be to protect her now that she was living at the Higurashi's shrine, instead of his apartment.

He knew that Hojo had only been attempting to help Kagome, but deep inside he hated the implications. Even if Hojo was an old friend, he really didn't want anyone else around her on a regular basis. Especially someone who looked at her the way that boy did.

He pondered his thoughts while Miroku looked on, seemingly amused at his friend's behavior.

It might have been moments or minutes, but soon Inuyasha noticed a black sleek limousine pulling up to the side of his abandoned apartment.

"Want to join me?" asked Inuyasha.

Miroku just laughed. "And face your Mom and Dad at the same time? No thanks, Ash. Good luck!"

Inuyasha sighed and just got into the vehicle. The remains of what he could salvage from his apartment in the seat beside him.

He tried to think of the proper response to what was certainly going to be a grilling session from his parents. But his mind was adrift. Instead of trying to formulate responses, he just kept on thinking about Kagome and worrying about how safe she was. He knew Sango was competent, but the girl was human. Kagome needed someone with superhuman abilities to protect her. All he could feel was disquiet along the road.

Eventually he pulled up into a walled home on the outskirts of Tokyo. Among the hills and nested within pine trees, stone statues and ponds was his family's estate. His human mother and demon father had lived here for about 300 years, though he knew that his father was over 600 years old. Some of his brothers and sisters still lived within the premises, but he was the youngest of the brood of seven children.

Once he pulled in front of his home he briefly looked at its confines. The lumbering estate was only one story in height, but it had a gently slopping, blue tiled roof. The house itself was made of brightly painted red and green wood. Large stone statues stood guard at every entrance and pebbled walkways meandered about the ponds and bridges surrounding the home.

The driver took his belongings as he stepped out of the car. A servant was already at the entrance, beckoning him to enter.

He supposed that if he was going to face the music, he would hold his head proudly. He walked into his parents' home with broad strides and a straight back.

After taking off his shoes at the genken, he walked forward was gestured by the servant into his father's office.

The ornate office had a low, broad black lacquer table with cushions on the floor surrounding it. His father was sitting formally at the table and gestured for him to join. The man had long, silver hair, golden eyes and almost elfin-like features, like his progeny. His mother was already seated at the table, a cup of tea steaming in her hands. His mother was the complete opposite of his father and he had often wondered how the two of them had ever managed to become husband and wife. Despite her age, she wore the semblance of youth. Her face was round; her brown eyes always were always alight with humor or mischief. Her long hair was closer to brown than black and swept down past her shoulders in waves.

The servant turned to exit the room and to close the rice paper doors to give a semblance of privacy.

He had been expecting a stern warning from his father and guilty admonitions from his mother, so he was surprised to see them looking at him in shock.

His mother nearly dropped her cup and his father's normally unflappable visage became momentarily astounded. He noticed his parents exchanging a meaningful glance, his mother's face adrift in worry before she smoothed her features.

She paused for a moment. It was almost as if she needed to catch her breath before she spoke. "Inuyasha, my son. Why are you wearing the robe of the firerat?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

His father continued with a clipped tone that spoke of concealed anger. "And why do you have the Tessaiga at your side?"

~~~oo0oo~~~

**_The Next Chapter:_**_ To be continued in 'Relations, Part 2.' Sorry the chapter got away from me. There is much more to this chapter. Part two will be posted within a month and I have already started on it._

**_Author's Notes:_**

_#1: Answers to questions I have been getting…  
Only people who know that Inuyasha is a hanyou call him 'Inuyasha' and only if they are not in public. Most people call him 'Ash' since calling him 'Dog Demon' in public might get a few stares.  
Why did Kagome sleep so long? It'll eventually be revealed, but again, it is not a big secret. Read chapter one and notice what happens with the jewel. You might also want to re-read the end of the dream sequence in chapter four.  
Is Hojo a little different than the original? Well, yeah he's a hanyou—so he's not quite as calm as the human one in the series. I find it funny that no one has asked what his hanyou abilities are, though I will __not__ be answering that question…sorry…  
In regard to comments about why did the Higurashi's take in Kagome after their daughter died three days ago… Hummm… yes, that does seem rather odd, doesn't it? Evil grin… I wonder why… And sorry, I can't tell you why right now. You won't find out until the end.  
Some people thought that Kagome was melodramatic? Well, re-read Chapter four. What if you were Kagome, saw your beloved's head being chopped off in front of you and then woke up to see him with you and thinking it was all a nightmare? Then to find out it was not a nightmare and that you are 500 years away from anything you ever knew or loved…? Ouch!  
Who is the demon with the tentacles? Oh come on, you guys know that answer don't you? It's supposed to be very obvious. :-) Unfortunately, our poor main characters have no idea right now._

_#2: The two Inuyasha's… I wanted to explain why things are working the way they are. I actually had a wonderful boss who went through past life regression and he went on to explain his past lives to me. He had been a Nazi in his past life and one of the things that stuck with him in this life was that you were never supposed to do what everyone else did. You need to do what is right, even if you have to go against the masses. This was something he always felt strongly about, but he could never pinpoint why he felt that way, until he went through a past life regression and found out that is what he had learned in his past life. I am characterizing Inuyasha in the same way. His subconscious remembers, even if his conscious mind does not. Only when he sleeps can he truly remember who he was._

_#3: When a Japanese person vows their honor to vouch for another person, it is a very serious matter. For Inuyasha to do this for Kagome says a lot about how he feels about her._

_#4: The 'Tetsusaiga/Tessaiga' debate… I use 'Tessaiga,' since that is actually how it is pronounced in the Japanese anime series and I find it much easier on the tongue. As far as how it is spelled, well it is spelled with Kanji characters, not the English language-so the standard English spellings don't really apply. Some translators go for 'Tetsusaiga' when they Romanize the name and some go for 'Tessaiga.' So I guess you can say that I am going with the phonetic version. I find it to be less confusing. (Remember Koga/Kouga, Kirara/Kilala are all correct spellings.)_


	7. Chapter 7: Relations, Part II

Chapter Seven: Relations, Part II

_**Warning:**__ Some swearing and violence.  
__~~~oo0oo~~~__**  
**__Special thanks to my awesome and talented betas: SplendentGoddess, Alpine, and Kmoaton_  
_~~~oo0oo~~~  
'Thinking'  
"Speaking"  
__~~~oo0oo~~~_

_**Last Chapter:**_

_His mother nearly dropped her cup and his father's normally unflappable visage became momentarily astounded. He noticed his parents exchanging a meaningful glance, his mother's face adrift in worry before she smoothed her features._

_She paused for a moment. It was almost as if she needed to catch her breath before she spoke. "Inuyasha, my son. Why are you wearing the robe of the firerat?"_

_Inuyasha's eyes widened. "How did you…?"_

_His father continued with a clipped tone that spoke of concealed anger. "And why do you have the Tessaiga at your side?"_

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha could only look at his parents in complete confusion. "What…how did you know?"

His mother was looking at him oddly and he had never seen his father so angry.

"I will ask you one last time, Inuyasha. Why do you have the Tessaiga at your side?"

He had never felt so small than when he was in his father's presence. He had always looked up to his father and marveled at the man's supernatural abilities. However, there was one thing he never wanted to see and that was his father's fury directed at him.

His father's golden eyes no longer seemed warm; they were ice cold and calculating.

Words flew from Inuyasha's mouth. "A miko gave them to me…she said that they were mine." He didn't add that the girl in question might have been delusional and was under the mistaken impression that she was from 500 years ago. It was bad enough that they were asking him about two gifts she had given him. As much as he couldn't have cared less about the robe and the sword when they had been given, now he found that he couldn't part with them. The thought of giving up his Tessaiga put his teeth on edge.

His mother cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out his words. "The girl you met at the park you were camping at?

Inuyasha nodded his head in affirmation. He didn't like the glow he saw in his mother's eyes.

"The one you gave CPR to?" she asked with a hint of a smile.

His father's eyebrows were raised momentarily. "CPR?" he asked.

His mother took a sip of her tea and slyly looked at her husband out of the corner of her eye. "Ummm hummm…" she intoned as she sipped her cup. She paused and then set her teacup down on the low table. Her eyes met her son's again.

"You said that you returned her to her shrine. Where is it?"

His father looked at him with a sternness that brooked no argument.

Inuyasha almost stuttered. The glare his father was giving him was something he had only seen when his father was dealing with unruly business associates.

He was about to answer, but something hardened inside of him. A need to protect Kagome reared. As much as he wanted to answer his parents, the need to safeguard her was stronger.

"Wait. If I answer your question, you won't harm her will you? I need to know that she will be safe."

His father's eyes flashed, but his mother put her arm up against his chest. Her eyes were clear; they seemed alight in happiness. Her brief smile to his father seemed to put him at ease, the gruff exterior of his father softened.

Golden eyes bored into him. "Do you have someone to protect, Inuyasha?"

The words shocked him. They seemed so familiar, like they were from an old dream or a forgotten memory.

He swallowed. "Yes, father. I have someone I need to protect." Inuyasha gripped the hilt of his sword.

The silver-haired demon leaned backward, as if appraising the situation. "Then that is why the sword has returned to your hands.

His father's anger seemed to seep away, replaced with a melancholy look. Golden eyes flickered over the Tessaiga, but now restfulness and a sense of purpose settled on his features.

"As long as this miko proves to be no threat, she will remain unharmed. Answer your mother's question, son," commanded his father.

He didn't understand what was going on, but he knew enough about his father to not test his luck. Directly disobeying his father two times in a row could make for a painful experience.

"She works at the Sunset Shrine in downtown Tokyo. Today she met Detective Sureiyā and he asked her to come into the Taijiya headquarters with me tomorrow. I am going to start training at headquarters."

His mother's eyes looked pained, while his father's eyes seemed proud. His father spoke to his mother first. "Inuyasha cannot be a boy forever. It's about time he learns how to be a man.

His father continued in a low voice. "Now you need to tell me how you managed to blow up your apartment." The older demon paused to look at the sword at Inuyasha's side. "Though, I believe Tessaiga had a lot to do with it.

He continued while looking Inuyasha directly in the eye. "The Tessiaga would not have emitted such massive destruction unless demonic power was involved. What exactly were you fighting, son?"

Terror drew itself across his mother's features. "You were fighting a demon in your apartment, Inuyasha?" She drew herself close to her son, her hand touching his arm.

Inuyasha gulped. The last thing he ever wanted to do was to worry his mother. He hoped that if he only mentioned the fight at his apartment and did not mention the demon at the park, that she would be less worried. However, both of his parents knew when he was lying. He would have to skirt the truth.

He took in a cleansing breath and then related the tale, yet again, of what had happened in his apartment last night and how he had ended up in the bedroom of the miko in question once the morning came. He noticed that his mother was incredibly amused about where he had slept last night. It almost erased the worry from her face. He didn't know why that irritated him.

His father was the first to speak. "I am going to contact Detective Sureiyā." He pushed himself away from the table. "We will need to meet this miko later. In the meantime, you will start residing in your old room. Having you on your own is not safe right now. Once you get settled, join me in the garden."

"Why?" asked Inuyasha as his father's taller frame stood up, standing regally in his silver and white kimono.

"No one will be able to teach you how to properly handle the Tessaiga like I can," answered his father. "Your training will start today."

~~~oo0oo~~~

It had been a long, grueling day for Inuyasha. He looked like a wet dog. Each step he took made a wet slapping sound on the tatami mat underneath him. He was also covered in soot from head to toe. The ends of his silver hair had been charred black. He flexed his hand, which had previously been a blackened husk. His wounds were slowly reknitting, color returning to his gray skin and he could even see his robe repairing itself, as if by magic.

He nearly ripped his doorframe of delicate rice paper, as he entered his old room. He really didn't like the idea of living with his parents again, especially after having the freedom of living alone while in college.

However, college was no longer an option. While he had been training with his dad, his mother had disenrolled him from Tokyo University. Inwardly, he actually agreed with them for the choice. If he was to train with the Taijiya, as well as his father, and also attempt to protect Kagome, his plate was already far too full. But he hated being told what to do. Inuyasha had even tried to argue with his mother. However, his father would brook no disagreement.

He took in his old, disused room. Unlike his apartment, this room was more traditional. It had tatami mats, rice paper screens that hid a Japanese garden, low-lying tables, a large futon in the middle of the room and even a small stone garden in the corner of the room, complete with a small Buddha.

Disgruntled, he disrobed before he threw himself on his futon and gazed at the ceiling. His body was aching from the exertions that his father had put him through.

…

The day had started with his father taking them to the clouds and then after flying for a while, they had landed on a small deserted isle that was more of a rocky outcropping than an island.

His father had then proceeded to fight him, hand to hand. Unfortunately, his father was quicker and had the ability to fly. There was also nowhere to run. The isle was so small, that he had trouble finding a footfall while trying to evade his father's poisonous whips.

Inuyasha had always thought that he was a powerful demon. But today his father had put him squarely in his place. He was just happy that Kagome had not seen his humiliation.

The older demon had slashed with his claws and flogged him with his poisonous whip. Lash marks continued to lace his body, arms and legs, green ooze falling from the wounds, preventing them from healing as quickly as they otherwise could.

After Inuyasha had fallen into the sea a few times, his father had relented, giving him time to dry his clothes and to catch his breath.

Inuyasha had felt hatred bubble for his father as his poisoned wounds festered and simmered on his skin. What had made everything even harder to swallow was that his father's impeccable white and silver kimono did not bear a single mark. His father had looked down at him evenly.

"Do you think I was too hard on you today, son?"

Inuyasha had only looked away in anger and shame.

His father only had hummed to himself and looked down at his claws that were now glowing with green poison. "I have actually paused in this fight and have allowed you time to recuperate. A real enemy would never give you a chance to pause the battle," he had said.

His father had then whipped the tendril of poison at Inuyasha who at the time had been busily trying to squeeze the water from his haori.

Just as the whip was about to land, Inuyasha had felt an inner calm. Almost without thinking, he had unsheathed his sword. The Tessaiga had flashed against the cold sea that surrounded them as the green whip was wrapped around the blade.

Inuyasha's eyes had widened, his pride at his quick reflexes glowing through his eyes.

His father had quickly tugged at the whip and the Tessaiga flew from its owner's hand, landing squarely in the palm of his father's.

Almost as if he had forgotten his son, the older demon had turned the sword over, examining its edge and worn features.

Inuyasha's eyes had narrowed. He couldn't place it, but for some reason, seeing his father hold his blade had angered him into furious rage. It had been difficult to see Detective Sureiyā and Miroku handle his blade. But seeing it in his father's hands had infuriated him.

He had stood to his full height and yelled as he reached out for the blade, "It's not yours!"

His words of anger had startled his father. But what had surprised him even more was that the blade responded. It had wiggled in his father's hands before an unknown force ripped it away and brought the blade squarely back into Inuyasha's open grip.

The hanyou had heaved in anger, wondering what had overtaken him and then paused to look at the battered blade.

"Indeed," intoned his father with a quirked eyebrow. "Then perhaps it is time for us to stop our combative training and work on honing your skills with that sword."

Inuyasha had tried to get his breathing back under control. For some reason he hadn't been expecting his father to be reasonable or to stop attacking him. His own feelings mystified him.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, he had stood up and held his sword out in front of him, gripped tightly with both hands.

Inuyasha had been expecting his father to face him with a sword of his own. Instead, his father had taken a small, paper, origami crane out of his obi. Curiously, the object flew into the sky on paper wings.

His father had then reclined on a rock, his face an impassive mask as the paper creature dove toward Inuyasha.

Without any real tactic in mind, Inuyasha had blindly swatted at the paper crane with his sword. He had looked more like a man swatting at a bug with a flyswatter, than a swordfighter.

With each slice, the paper crane had split into another segment. However, instead of the paper pieces fluttering to the ground, they had simply reformed, adding another paper crane to the menagerie buzzing around him.

"What in the fuck is this supposed to help with?" yelled Inuyasha as he had continued his mad dance around the paper objects. He had still continued to slash at the flying paper cranes a more flew around him, looking like swarming gnats.

The paper cranes had looked harmless, but when they flew close enough to Inuyasha, their paper wings would slice his skin and robes. His exposed face and arms had been peppered with horizontal cuts and scattered drops of blood.

A wry smile fell upon the demon's lips. "I asked you if you had someone to protect, Inuyasha."

"What in the fuck is that supposed to mean?" yelled the half demon as he had continued to slice at the objects. He had brought his brows together. His father's words had seemed familiar; he knew that the words were once spoken by someone else… Unfortunately, the memory had drifted away like smoke blown away by the wind, just as he had tried to focus.

Frustration had mounted. There was something he was missing, some thought or memory that was out of his reach and it made him angry. He had decided to refocus his anger as he continued to madly slice into the air surrounding him; he thought about the sole person he wanted to protect. A girl in miko's robes with wavy, raven black hair and eyes the color of a storm had flashed in his mind.

"Kagome," he had murmured.

He never noticed the way his father's eyes narrowed when he had spoken that word. What he did see was the way his blade had suddenly erupted into a glowing crescent moon dwarfing his own frame.

He had been momentarily startled enough to let the flying paper origami slice his nose. "Fuck!" he had yelled before he managed to swat at the offending object with the glowing sword.

That time his mad slices through the air had managed to fry the small bits of paper droning in the air. Ashes had fluttered to the ground.

A mad smile had then made its way across Inuyasha's features before his final slashes in the air managed to decimate the paper swarm.

He had stood up straight and tall, leaning against his glowing sword, a smirk of pleasure clearly written across his face.

His father had seemed unimpressed.

Wordlessly, he had pulled a green origami dragon from his obi before releasing it into the air. The paper object had snorted and a whiff of smoke rose from its nostrils. The small thing had darted in front of Inuyasha. The half demon had simply guffawed.

"Come on! Give me something more challenging. I can easily destroy that stupid paper thing," Inuyasha had spoken in confident tones.

The tiny green paper dragon had opened up its maw and a blast of fire had poured out of it, burning his hand with fire and heat.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha had screamed as he held his throbbing hand and dropped his Tessaiga. The once glowing object transformed back into a dull sword and had lain among the dirt at his feet. His hand was charred black and blood oozed out of the cracks in his skin. His hanyou healing abilities had quickly kicked in and he had started to see the blackened marks fading into a healthy skin tone before his eyes.

Then he had felt another pelt of fire hitting him from behind. He had felt the heat against his skin, but that time the paper dragon was breathing fire against his robe of the fire rat.

He had noticed when he had been fighting the demon in his apartment; the gas explosion in his kitchen didn't seem to hurt him. Perhaps it had been the robes he was wearing? Perhaps they were the mystical robes of legend that the Princess Kaguya of the Moon Kingdom had asked for?

At the moment, he couldn't begin to understand where Kagome had found them. All he knew was that they actually worked.

For once, he had smirked. If he could just keep the thing from attacking his bare skin, he could defeat the pest.

He had quickly bent down to retrieve his Tessaiga. Once the sword was in his hands, he had expected the sword to transform back into its larger, glowing form. But all he had in his hands was a mangled sword.

The paper dragon had blasted him with another round of fire.

"Fuck!"

Inuyasha had barely managed to put up his sword in time to block the fiery path. The flames were cleaved into two halves by the sword's dull edge, and what was left of the flames fell harmlessly against the arms of his robes.

The paper dragon dove again, and that time it was making a beeline for his face.

"Oh, fuck no!" screamed Inuyasha as he had turned and twisted, exposing his back to the flames, which again fell harmlessly against the red fur cloth.

"Do you have someone to protect, Inuyasha?" his father had asked.

Inuyasha had only nodded as he tried to evade yet another tiny, diving dragon attack.

"Then imagine her behind you and you are her only means of protection," his father had ordered.

The words somehow made perfect sense. There was no real reason to fight unless he was protecting someone. The motive had to be pure and without selfish motives…

"Kagome…" he had whispered again while he imagined the black haired miko behind him, with her quiver of arrows spent and sweat on her brow. She needed him and there was no one else who could help her…

His pride suddenly had swelled and he felt more powerful, just thinking about how much she might need him.

The sword had suddenly sprung to life, a blazoned crescent moon glowing with raging fury.

The small paper dragon had seemed to pause in confusion as it hovered in mid air. It was the delay Inuyasha had needed to smite the tiny creature.

He had slowly slashed down into the creature, his flashing sword following a diagonal path towards the ground. The paper creature had fallen right into the Tessaiga's path.

Inuyasha had glowered in anticipation. The thing was going to be fried into ash within moments.

His smirk had slowly morphed into confusion and then into utter disbelief when the paper dragon had still been hovering in mid air. It had seemed to snort at him, whiffs of smoke puffing out from its nostrils.

His father had spoken as if bored. "That paper creation was enchanted with dragon blood."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" quipped Inuyasha who had been busily dodging another tiny blast of fire aimed at his face.

"It means," his father had continued in a patronizing tone, "that it is immune to fire, like all dragons. Your sword cannot destroy it unless you unleash the power of the 'Wound of the Wind.'"

"What the fuck? You mean the 'Wind Scar,' Dad?"

A silver eyebrow arched. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean, son." He had paused and continued. "Imagine a rift in the air in front of you, the converging of two energies, your own and the dragon that you face. But most of all imagine the person you must protect. Keep them in the forefront of your mind."

Inuyasha's mind went back to the night that he was attacked in his apartment. He had unleashed something so powerful that he had blown the roof off of his building.

Something had taken over then, a fleeting calm and a sense of purpose, married with the unmistakable desire to protect Kagome with his life. He marveled when he thought back at how little concern he had felt for his own life, but the panic he had felt when he had realized the demon might try to kill her next.

He had centered on these thoughts. He had pretended that the dragon was about to attack Kagome, that she was helpless behind his back.

He had smirked. Perhaps it was his ego, but he really didn't like the idea of her saving his ass. She had done so once and he was mortified that he had been so weak and helpless.

"Never, fucking again!" he thought.

Inuyasha had concentrated, looking not only at the paper creature that was zipping through the air, but also at the demonic wake that it left.

He could sense a trail in the air that left a telltale aura. He had waved his sword in the direction of the demonic signature that was left. He had felt a reverberation in his sword. It had vibrated, as he sensed a disruption in the twining of the two energies of his sword and the dragon. Between the two, there was a void of space where neither energy had gained hold.

He had aimed his sword at that spot. Then he had unleashed his swords pent up energy. "Wind Scar!" he had yelled.

What had followed was a quake that erupted from his sword, slashing down against the earth. Bright light blinded his vision and the energy flowing felt like lightning had struck the ground in front of him, pushing him back and bathing the area in a destructive flow.

His body had heaved with heavy breaths as he looked on the devastation in front of him. Five jagged cracks burst out from the ground in front of his sword, looking like the serrated remains of an earthquake.

The paper dragon had been nowhere to be seen. Another smirk erupted across his face. "Keh!"

Inuyasha had taken a step back and he had let the image of Kagome standing helpless behind him dissipate. The sword had quickly followed, becoming nothing but an old rusty sword again. He had quickly sheathed it and looked at his father, expecting to see pride in his eyes.

All he had been met with was an arrogant calm and a stern command. "Again," his father had spoken as he released another paper dragon into the air.

…

The day went on until Inuyasha was both burnt and wet. Staring up at the ceiling, Inuyasha was happy to finally be in the comfort of his own room, even if he was upset at having to stay at home. He groused for a few minutes, before he noticed that the sun was starting to set.

Panic seemed to overwhelm him. Sango would only be able to protect Kagome during the day, at night she would be returning home. He knew that the Taijiya would send someone else in her stead, but if it wasn't Miroku or Sango, he didn't trust them.

Inuyasha took a quick shower to get the soot and salt water off of him. He managed to eat a quick meal with his mother before he made it back to his room. He was itching to wear his robe of the fire rat. He was surprised when he found his garment perfectly dry and mended.

He smirked as he put it back on and then securely tied his Tessaiga back to his side. No one could protect Kagome like he could. There was just one final thing he needed to do before leaving.

He evaded the hired servants before he made his way to his father's office. There was an item there that he could use. He didn't know how his father had obtained it, but apparently it was very old, predating the necklaces they currently wore that made them appear human. These bracelets would obfuscate a demon. It wouldn't make you invisible, but it made you blend in better with your surroundings, like a chameleon.

He reached to take out a small cloth wrapped box with a small golden bracelet within. He carefully took out the charm before he rewrapped the box. Inuyasha put the smooth metal band around his wrist. His smile looked like the grin of a Cheshire cat. His body blended into the walls and only his teeth were visible. Even his scent became distorted and dilute.

Inuyasha quickly managed to leave his father's complex and leapt into the air. He would be at the Higurashi Sunset Shrine in less than an hour.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha's mother was sitting outdoors on a low-lying table in her garden when her husband joined her. She smiled as her husband nipped at her ear before joining her at the table.

Two cups of tea sat out steaming in front of them. Inuyasha's father took the small ceramic cup in his clawed hands and took a long, calming sip.

The woman smiled, looking at her husband coyly. "So, did our son leave already?"

The older man huffed and sat back. "Yes, and he managed to take my concealment charm with him."

His wife giggled, her amusement making her look years younger. "I'm glad that you managed to put a GPS tracking device on it."

Her husband arched an eyebrow. "Hnnnn…" was his only reply.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha was perched on a large tree that sat squarely in the middle of the Higurashi compound. He could see nearly everything from here, including a certain kitsune who was not nearly as clever as he thought he was. He could clearly see the fox demon's burnt orange tail poking out of a bush. The silly young demon had tried to morph himself into a plant and was only partially successful.

A smirk made its way across Inuyasha's face as he formulated a plan. With his bracelet of concealment in place, he dropped down effortlessly behind the young demon. Then he swiped up the demon's tail. With his concentration interrupted the small demon popped in front of Inuyasha. A kitsune who looked to be a young boy dangled in front of him by its long puffy tail.

"Hey! What gives!" yelled the smaller tyke.

"Is this what the Taijiya send these days for protection? Are they getting desperate?" asked Inuyasha with a nasty smirk on his face.

"Let go!" yelled the smaller creature.

Inuyasha delayed a moment too long before putting the young demon back down. A spinning top quickly crashed onto his head, it morphed into an immense size and managed to splatter him onto the ground. The large wooden object ground painfully into his back.

"Kagome!" the tiny creature yelled as it managed to catapult itself from the shrine grounds into the girl's living quarters on the second floor.

Inuyasha managed to knock the oversized play toy off his back and pull himself off of the ground. He was cursing kitsune foxes when he heard Kagome's reply.

"Oh Shippo, what could have possibly frightened you?" asked Kagome soothingly.

The young demon sputtered. "A horrible dog demon, he was trying to…"

Inuyasha had had enough. He straightened his back and managed to leap into Kagome's room, following in the young kitsune's wake.

His eyebrow twitched in agitation when he saw Kagome holding the tiny fox demon in her arms, like a baby. He felt a small stab that emanated from his heart when he looked at the scene. That young demon was held protectively against her breasts as it continued to babble.

At first he had only wanted to play a trick on the young fox demon, now he wanted to pummel the creature. He took off his bracelet and put it in his pocket so that Kagome could see him more easily.

"That's him!" yelled the fox demon accusingly. The young thing attempted to snarl and leap out of Kagome's arms, however the young miko held him in check.

"Inuyasha!" she exclaimed with a warm smile.

"Inu..?" muttered the fox demon. "You mean you know this bast-?" Kagome put her hand on Shippo's mouth before he could talk himself into any more trouble.

Inuyasha stomped until he stood right next to Kagome. "What the fuck, Kagome? Why are the Taijiya sending a defenseless squirt like him to protect you? He can't do anything!"

Kagome turned while holding Shippo, shielding him from Inuyasha and putting him on her bed. "He doesn't mean it Shippo-chan," she said while patting him on the head.

An angry pain filled him as he stormed next to Kagome, his face centimeters from hers. "You think I didn't mean it? There's no fucking way that I didn't…"

Inuyasha paused as he looked down at the smaller girl. Her lips were right next to his and she didn't seem the least bit fazed by his tantrum. She only answered him with a small smile.

He quickly lost track of what he had been yelling at her about. Her lips were pink and full. He remembered kissing them the first time he had met her. Back then it had been a shock, now all he could think about was trying it again, holding her next to him and feeling her lips desperately reaching for his.

He swallowed before he moved to hold her by her shoulders. Her smile quickly morphed into confusion before she looked up at him with a look of both pain and longing.

She licked her lips as he let go of one arm to caress her cheek. "Kagome," he whispered.

The young kitsune on Kagome's bed would not be ignored. "Kagome! Stop it! He's the bad guy!"

Kagome blinked and looked up at Inuyasha with widened eyes. A blush found itself drawing across her features and a look of shame overcame her. She managed to detach herself from Inuyasha and moved to pick up the young fox demon again.

Inuyasha's hands flexed in anger; if Kagome had not been in the room, that little demon would have been in a world of hurt.

She spoke down lovingly to the young fox demon. "No, Shippo. He's my friend. He protects me like you do."

The young demon replied snarkily. "That didn't look like any protecting to me."

Kagome sighed. "It's time for me to get to bed. Do you think that you two can get along for a few minutes while I change?"

The two adversaries looked at each other warily as Kagome exited the room. Inuyasha was concentrating on giving the little kitsune the evil eye when the creature started to make a nest for himself in Kagome's bed.

The young demon pulled down the covers and managed to snuggle inside of the bedding. Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched.

"What in the fuck do you think you're doing?" yelled Inuyasha as he glared at the impetuous kitsune.

A door clicked and Kagome was back in the room wearing a pink shirt and yoga pants.

The young fox demon replied with all of the innocence of a young child. "Kagome said that I could sleep in her bed tonight." He puffed up his little chest. "That way I could protect her better."

"Kagome, there is no fucking way that you could let…" Inuyasha tried to reason.

He was struck dumb when he saw Kagome ruffle the hair on Shippo's head, like a mother would do to her child. She looked up at Inuyasha, her face aglow with warmth and tenderness. "He can sleep here, Inuyasha. He said that he's been having nightmares."

"The Taijiya sent a kid who has nightmares at night to protect you?" steamed Inuyasha. He felt like a blood vessel on his forehead was about to burst.

Kagome just giggled and looked up at him with clear, bright eyes. She moved next to him, holding his hand in hers. "No, Inuyasha. He's only in training. I told the Taijiya that you would be here at night to protect me, so that they could send someone who still needed to learn the ropes."

Inuyasha was befuddled. "What do you mean? How did you know that I would be here tonight?"

Kagome only looked up at him. Brown, clear eyes looking up at him, seemingly knowing things about him that he didn't know himself. She smiled. "I just knew, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha gulped as she led him to a small pillow and bedding that had been put on the floor next to her bed. "You can sleep here," she whispered.

Everyone soon settled down to sleep. Inuyasha would be lying if he said that he was fine with the little demon snuggled up to Kagome like a stuffed animal. It made something itch inside of him. All he wanted to do was to kick that little demon out of the room and trade places with the imp.

Thoughts of ways to torment the little kitsune filled his mind as he lay down on the floor next to Kagome. Soon the miko and the fox demon were fast asleep, but the hanyou couldn't clear his mind enough to rest.

Finally he managed to sit up, cursing as he did so.

He turned to look at Kagome, asleep with a gentle smile on her lips. Her arm fell down, almost touching the floor.

Uncertainty filled his thoughts, but Inuyasha was still drawn to her. He cupped her hand in his. Almost immediately, the indecision warring in his mind ceased. Peace gripped him and purpose filled him. Somehow he knew she was his. His to protect, to defend…and to…something else also peeked into the corner of his mind, but he refused to listen to it.

"Inuyasha…" she murmured in her sleep.

He took in a deep breath of astonishment. She knew he was here, even in her sleep. Part of his mind told him that perhaps she was thinking about another Inuyasha. But the logical part of him knew that was just foolish. There was no other Inuyasha in this world and there was no way that the girl he was next to actually lived 500 years ago.

Kagome was just a little insane and somehow he was perfectly fine with that knowledge.

He sat up next to her bed, her hand dangling around his shoulder. Inuyasha fell quickly into a peaceful sleep, perfectly content in his newfound role as her protector.

~~~oo0oo~~~

Inuyasha flew up in the air, crashing into the white, padded walls of the training facility of the Taijiya. The gym bore some striking resemblances to an insane asylum room.

Today was bad and it was only getting worse. Detective Sureiyā had told Inuyasha that he would get the finest instruction. Unfortunately, Inuyasha had known long ago who was in charge of hand-to-hand combat training; it was his old rival, Koga, of the wolf demon tribe. If it wasn't for his fierce desire to protect Kagome, he would have left this crazy facility and its equally insane coach long ago.

"Fuck!" Inuyasha yelled as he plummeted to the ground and attempted to stand back up. He swiped at the corner of his mouth and wiped away some blood.

The wolf demon jumped up and down in front of him, like a boxer preparing another strike.

"Come on dog turd!" Koga yelled before landing a flying kick into Inuyasha's abdomen.

Inuyasha almost doubled over, but he managed to quickly lift an arm, catching the next kick that Koga had sent.

The hanyou smirked for a brief second, thinking that he had finally gained the upper hand on his opponent. However, Inuyasha only held one leg. He quickly found that that was a mistake. Koga's other leg pushed up against the ground before kicking Inuyasha hard against the side of his face.

The hanyou was forced to let go as he reeled backward and fell once again against the padding of the gym's walls.

Inuyasha was pissed. All he wanted to do was to serve Koga's head on a platter. Seeing the wolf demon bloodied and begging for mercy would have been equally satisfying. Unfortunately, the wolf was over two hundred years old and had far more combat experience.

The hanyou started to get back up, prepared again to try to strike when the door to the room opened. Miroku and Sureiyā stepped through and seemed surprised to see Inuyasha in the corner, having trouble staying upright.

"Hey!" yelled Koga as he exposed his back to Inuyasha. The wolf demon strolled over to the pair nonchalantly, cockiness in his step.

Inuyasha growled and propelled himself up to his feet. The attack of opportunity that Koga had presented him with was just too appealing.

Just as he was going to rush against Koga's back, Sureiyā was slapping the wolf demon on the back, interfering with his shot.

Inuyasha barely managed to stop his forward momentum before he slammed into the detective. He hovered back about one pace as the two men chatted amiably. The smiles on their faces just pissed him off even more.

"Fuck this!" Inuyasha yelled out as he left the room, trying not to show any stiffness or injury as he vacated the cursed room.

Without even looking over his shoulder, Koga called out. "Same time and place tomorrow."

The only answer from Inuyasha was the door slamming shut behind him.

Miroku looked quixotically at the departing hanyou and scratched his head. "How was the training session, Koga?"

The wolf demon just smiled, his teeth very white and sharp. "The idiot doesn't know what he's fighting for. He's too scattered and can't concentrate on anything. I suggest you get rid of him. A hanyou like him isn't good enough to win in a fight with a real demon."

Detective Sureiyā leaned back. "If you had seen the destruction he had wrecked on an apartment complex, you wouldn't be saying that, Koga."

The wolf demon only sneered. "So he has some sort of special blade that can help him attack. But one-on-one combat…the boy is as good as dead. He has no drive. He's not even bothering to fight! How in the hell can I train him?"

Miroku looked thoughtfully at the closed door behind him. "Perhaps there is a way that we can motivate him."

~~~oo0oo~~~

As Inuyasha walked back to the Taijiya the next morning, he was surprised to see Kagome at his side. He liked the way they looked together, like a couple from the feudal era: he in his robes of the fire rat and she in white and red miko's robes.

However, he was confused about her presence, although he wasn't about to complain. He knew that she was supposed to be working at the Sunset Shrine.

Still, it made his heart feel lighter when she was at his side and perhaps he walked a little more boldly, perhaps his back was a little straighter. As he entered the building he was surprised that Miroku and Eri met him. Miroku was in his monk's robes and Eri was sporting her slayer's uniform of tight leather. Almost any woman with any semblance of curves looked breathtaking in the tight leather that the slayers wore. If he was going to be honest with himself, it was probably one of the reasons why he had accepted a date with Eri-that and Miroku's constant attempts to pair him up with any woman that he so much as glanced at.

Inuyasha supposed that the date had gone well enough from Eri's point-of-view. They had had a nice dinner together and had seen some of the sights of Tokyo at night. However, it was when he had put his arms around the girl and attempted to kiss her that he knew everything was wrong. Something deep inside of him was repelled by what a normal man would consider to be a beautiful girl. She simply didn't smell right and there was something off about her. For some reason she just didn't seem to match whatever his inner demon was searching for. Kissing her was like licking cigarette ashes.

He had ended the date quickly after his misguided attempt to kiss her. The poor girl had probably been wondering why he had left so quickly.

He had really hoped that he wouldn't be seeing Eri for a long time. Inuyasha clenched his teeth together and made his way toward the duo.

As fate would have it, Eri was waving happily at him and even tried to give him a hug. She seemed non-pulsed as Inuyasha glided away from her arms. She continued to follow the group down the hallway.

Miroku's staff jingled as he made his way down the hallway to the training rooms. "I hope you don't mind, Inuyasha," Miroku said casually. "But I thought that the girls might learn a few things from your training exercises."

Inuyasha blanched. "What? No!" Thoughts of his imminent humiliation at the hands of Koga with two women watching him danced in his mind.

Miroku seemed to be one step ahead of him and was already corralling the two girls into the training room. "If you will only allow me a chance to try an experiment, Inuyasha."

The hanyou spoke through gritted teeth, his words laced with anger. "This is no fucking time for you to try to get me hooked up with Eri again and I don't want Kagome watching this."

The monk only smiled one of his calm, beguiling smiles. "I have a theory, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha managed to fold his hands in front of his chest. "What sort of fucked up theory…?"

Miroku only laughed and managed to slap Inuyasha on the back, effectively pushing the hanyou into the training room while doing so. The monk grinned from ear to ear and whispered to the hanyou. "The theory is that like most dog demons you only 'perform' well…" After mentioning that word, the monk's eyebrows raised perceptively. "…when someone you need to protect is present." The monk continued by gesturing to the two ladies in the room.

Eri was standing comfortably in her leather slayer uniform. Inuyasha noticed how tightly the outfit curved around her ass and her thighs. Kagome was next to her and for the first time since Inuyasha had met the girl, she seemed a little worried. She was tugging at her robes and looking at the slayer's costume in confusion.

For a brief moment, all Inuyasha could think about was what Kagome would look like wearing one of the slayer's uniforms. The image was dancing in his mind, distracting him until he saw the unwelcome sight of Koga pulling Kagome close, holding her hands in his.

Inuyasha stormed forward. He had once thought that just seeing the arrogant wolf demon infuriated him, but seeing him touch Kagome made something snap deep inside of him. No one should be touching Kagome and certainly no one should be flirting with her.

The wolf demon seemed to be ignoring everyone else in the room. He was sniffing the air near Kagome. Inuyasha only growled. Kagome had a lovely scent and now the wolf demon was aware as well.

He roughly shoved Koga away, disentangling their hands. He quickly moved to put himself between Kagome and his combat trainer.

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself, wolf!" seethed Inuyasha as he tried to block Kagome from Koga's view.

Inuyasha didn't like the gleam in the wolf demon's eyes or the way they started to sparkle in amusement. "I was under the impression that you were dating, Eri." Koga then moved around Inuyasha, managing to hold Kagome's hands again. This time the miko's eyes went wide.

"Dating?" asked Kagome as she stared at Inuyasha.

"Which means that this miko is up for the taking." Koga fixated his eyes on Kagome. "My name is Koga. What's yours, gorgeous?"

Inuyasha batted their hands apart. "Not for you to know, shit face!" His temples were starting to throb with anger.

Koga turned calmly to Inuyasha, a sneer starting to make itself across his handsome features. "Then try to stop me, dog shit!"

Inuyasha didn't think; he only attacked. His body moved before his conscious mind had given him leave to do so. The only thing hammering in his mind was how much he hated Koga and how the wolf demon should suffer for daring to touch Kagome.

His hand was already clenched and was flying into the wolf demon's face.

Koga lunged backwards, avoiding the connecting punch by a hair's breadth, before leaping away from the girls and landing on the other side of the padded enclosure.

The wolf demon only grinned at Inuyasha cheekily, before gesturing to the hanyou to come at him again.

Fury consumed Inuyasha's mind as he leapt toward his opponent, his fists flying. Koga's head ducked once again, this time barely avoiding the hand that connected to the wall instead. The white wall padding quickly gave way to Inuyasha's fist. Splinters of wood and plaster flew into the air on impact.

The hanyou tried to pull his bloodied hand from the wall just as Koga managed to lunge to the ground and kick the hanyou's feet right out from under him.

Inuyasha sputtered to the floor, his arms flailing behind him.

Koga only laughed, as he stood regally above the hanyou. "Learn self-control, mutt-face! You're a waste of my time..."

The wolf demon quickly followed his words by attempting to jump and then land on Inuyasha's belly with both feet. The hanyou barely managed to avoid the quick attack as he immediately swerved to the side, Koga's feet impaling the floor.

Inuyasha was still on the floor when he twisted back to grab Koga's legs in a stranglehold, effectively pulling the demon down onto the ground with him.

A quick elbow to the man's ribcage and a swift upper-cut to his jaw briefly immobilized Koga. After being trained by his father, Inuyasha knew that he could give no quarter. With flying fists, he delivered punch after punch to Koga's face, bloodying his nose, blackening an eye and marring the demon's once perfect features.

For the first time in their many bouts, Inuyasha thought that he might have the upper hand when he was kneed solidly in the groin.

The hanyou howled in pain and rolled off the wolf, cursing as he moved.

Koga got up, wiping the blood away that was dripping down his nose with a hasty swipe. The smug grin that had once shown on his face had now dissolved into a look of stern indignation.

Inuyasha attempted to stand, his feet wobbly.

The wolf demon taunted him. "The miko needs a real man, not a half-breed like you."

With those words, some half-forgotten memory played in Inuyasha's mind. He was seeing a young boy with long black hair and the robes of a kannushi telling him that he wasn't fit to be with a miko. He remembered the boy was telling him that if a miko was touched by a hanyou, that she would lose her powers. Half-breeds were impure.

Feelings of resentment welled up inside of him, until another memory let itself loose. He felt Kagome's form next to him, desperately kissing him with abandon, and his bittersweet joy at learning that she not only wanted him as well, but that the young kannushi had been deliberately misleading him.

Just like Koga…

Inuyasha snarled before attacking. His pains were somehow forgotten in the haze of battle. All he wanted was revenge. Revenge for being misled, revenge for missed opportunities, revenge for betrayal…

This time his claws came into play and Koga was barely able to defend himself. Inuyasha slashed at the boy's abdomen, bloody gouge marks left in its wake.

Fist and claws continued to attack as blood droplets fell like fine mist and occasional splotches on the otherwise spotless padding of the white floor next to Koga.

In the haze that clouded his mind, Inuyasha hardly noticed that the wolf demon had his arms around his head and stomach in an attempt to ward off the attacks. Koga was no longer fighting against him.

Inuyasha did not see the wolf demon in front of him, instead he saw the young kannushi who had told him he was somehow not worthy. Then that young man's face somehow morphed into the shape-shifting demon who had attacked him at his apartment. A man with long black hair that writhed like tentacles and eyes that were pitch black.

Suddenly, his arm was held back in a stern grip from behind. He attempted to jerk his hand free and then realized who had been holding him. He scented his father behind him, keeping him from attacking. Finally, the vision of the shape-shifting demon moved away from him, leaving the bloodied form of his erstwhile wolf demon trainer cowering in front of him on the floor.

Then his senses picked up something else—fear, and it was coming from Kagome.

He pivoted away from Koga, his arm still in his father's grasp, while trying to make eye contact with the miko he wanted to protect. It was then that he noticed the deep blood stains on his hands and within his claws.

He was about to try to explain to Kagome why he had done it, why he had attacked so viciously. He was so certain that his errant behavior had driven Kagome away from him.

Just as he was about to speak, the miko gasped and it wasn't at his bloodied claws. She was looking directly into his father's narrowed golden eyes.

Kagome stammered in disbelief. "Sesshomaru-sama…"

His father dropped his arm and stood between the miko and Inuyasha. For the first time in Inuyasha's life, he noticed that his dad was wearing a look of befuddled surprise. No one else would have noticed the subtle change in his features, but it was his raised brows and the slight widening of his eyes that gave his father's restrained emotions away.

His father's eyes narrowed. "Miko, how is it that you are still alive …?"

~~~oo0oo~~~

_**Author's Notes:**_

_#1: Why did this chapter take so long? I am so sorry. It was just life. The reader's digest version is: just when I was finishing up this chapter my husband had to go in and out of the ER for an entire weekend. Then he had emergency surgery (kidney stones). Then I had the end of the year closeout at work (ends June 30th). Then my parents stayed at my home for two weeks. I hope I don't get that distracted again! This entire story has already been plotted out, so there are no writer's block problems, only problems in having time to write, which I hope should be alleviated for the near future._

_#2: Thank you Glon Morski for recommending this story over at 'If the Roles Were Reversed.' I already recommended her awesome tale a few chapters back, but if you haven't yet checked out her lovingly hand-crafted tale that tugs at your heartstrings and keeps you astounded with intricate fight scenes, then you are missing out. :-)_

_#3: Thank you Onna for nominating 'When We Awaken' for 'Best In-Character Fiction.' This story actually won last quarter, woo hoo! ;-)_

_#4: Answers to questions I have been getting…  
Who are Inuyasha's parents? Well, now you know that Sesshomaru is his dad. So who do you think Inuyasha's mother is? I had one reviewer actually guess that Sesshy was Inuyasha's dad, but now I can't find that review.  
When will our modern Inuyasha remember his past? Well, as you can see, he is already starting to remember. Give him some time…  
What is going on with Inuyasha's parents? I loved the conspiracy stories about Inuyasha's parents. Well, now you should know that his parents are not really hiding anything from Inuyasha. He just has an overprotective mother. Considering the fate of the predecessor, whose name the modern Inuyasha bears, his mother is a little worried about him meeting the same fate._

_Hojo's hanyou abilities…? Sorry, I'm not telling. Maybe you can pick up on them as the story progresses. He has used them publicly already.  
What was legend of a dog demon that Souta was referring to? Just a 500 year-old legend about a certain miko and a dog demon we all know and love._

_Is Inuyasha a wimp? Sorry folks, he's taking after Kagome and her gradual development in the story. Remember what she was like in the beginning before she was able to fire a sacred arrow? I hope everyone is happier with the modern Inuyasha in this chapter, since he has just managed to beat poor Koga to a pulp._

_Kokoronagomu: You are dead on about the Uncle idea… ;-)  
Darkcreeder: No mind-games, but there will be twists. Inuyasha's parents do love him. His mom is just over protective. And now as you know, Sesshomaru has been in this tale for two chapters so far.  
Jingyee: I see Inuyasha's subconscious as his 'Id' and his conscious mind is his 'Ego' and 'Superego.' They all meet in his mind while Inuyasha dreams and battle out their differences. Since they are all of the same mind, you will see them interact with each other. Oh and Miroku thought that Inuyasha and Kagome were acting like a couple who had been together for a long time. They seem to anticipate each other's moods and actions.  
__#5: This story will have three twists in it. You have already been introduced to the first one: that is Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's Dad. Two more to come… ;-)_

_#6: One of my betas asked this, so I will repeat. Kikyo is dead. D-E-A-D. She will not come back from the dead, she will not walk the earth again. Please do not worry. No golem Kikyo's will be in my story._


End file.
